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[Mr Skrunts]

I have my neighbers PC - yes the one that thinks she is being hacked.  Sadly it's a Sony (VGC-M1 and during the period she moved she has lost all the system disks which makes it awkward to level it)

I have been given a brand new wireless modem by my service provider which I am happy to lend to her as I just keep it as a back up.  Then if I get a wireless USB adapter to plug into her PC I can then monitor it at mine if I can get a suitable adapter to communicaate with next door.

So many makes and models (USB Wireless Adapters) out there and it is something I have never bothered with, so am after recommendations for something not too exspensive but has good security options.

TIA.   

Also any software that can monitor any activity on the PC possibly from any remote software.  There is noting obvious on her PC, but she reckons it has been flatted and cleaned up by some PC person she knows.  But looking at some of the stuff left on itthat does make me wonder, for examaple she wanted Symantec taking off (Norton) but there are still sub folders there.  So maybe just some sort of clean up has been run.

Again TIA.   

[tunnie]

what type of house is it? Those USB WiFi sticks really struggle with signal if the router is not in the same room.

I'd personally stick a PCI WiFi card in the PC, cost about the same, and are much better with signal quality

[TheBoy]

what type of house is it? Those USB WiFi sticks really struggle with signal if the router is not in the same room.

I'd personally stick a PCI WiFi card in the PC, cost about the same, and are much better with signal quality

Only if the laptop has the antenna prefitted. Thats were the gain is

Many Vaios without built in Wifi don't have the antenna, then its a case of stripping down the screen to fit them, and Vaio plastics aren't the best imho when it comes to the robustness of the clips.

[tunnie]

what type of house is it? Those USB WiFi sticks really struggle with signal if the router is not in the same room.

I'd personally stick a PCI WiFi card in the PC, cost about the same, and are much better with signal quality

Only if the laptop has the antenna prefitted. Thats were the gain is

Many Vaios without built in Wifi don't have the antenna, then its a case of stripping down the screen to fit them, and Vaio plastics aren't the best imho when it comes to the robustness of the clips.

D'oh, just seen the Sony 'PC' is a odd ball:



I was thinking it was a standard Sony tower, which has the space for PCI with antenna....

[Mr Skrunts]

I agree Tunnie, it's and all in one with a bloody great sub woofer i it.

Sounds bloody good TBH, only a 3.06 Ghz P4 with 512mb DDR but it does'nt struggle.


Been going through it today, found some remote login software on it.  Going to have a look for log files later and see whats on.

Seems like the guy before has just done a restore, so if she can come up with some windows software I would like to format and start from scratch.  Just backed all her parsonal stuff up for her.

She has bought an Orange 3G Dondle but couldnt get it to work last night, error message said sim card not found, allthough it was installed.  She also said that the shop said it could take upto 24 hours to activate so will see what happends tonight.

I would opt to fit a card inside evey time Tunnie, but TBH I dont know if it has any expansion slots and I personally just fancy even looking at how to get inside it.

[Kevin Wood]

what type of house is it? Those USB WiFi sticks really struggle with signal if the router is not in the same room.

I'd personally stick a PCI WiFi card in the PC, cost about the same, and are much better with signal quality

Only if the laptop has the antenna prefitted. Thats were the gain is

Many Vaios without built in Wifi don't have the antenna, then its a case of stripping down the screen to fit them, and Vaio plastics aren't the best imho when it comes to the robustness of the clips.

Or occasional gain interspersed with periods of total loss in the case of mine. Don't make me start thinking about VAIO wireless LAN performance. I've just bought a netbook as the work Vaio was getting dangerously close to a good sammying.

Can you do what you want with a copy of VNC running on it?

Kevin

[TheBoy]

what type of house is it? Those USB WiFi sticks really struggle with signal if the router is not in the same room.

I'd personally stick a PCI WiFi card in the PC, cost about the same, and are much better with signal quality

Only if the laptop has the antenna prefitted. Thats were the gain is

Many Vaios without built in Wifi don't have the antenna, then its a case of stripping down the screen to fit them, and Vaio plastics aren't the best imho when it comes to the robustness of the clips.

Or occasional gain interspersed with periods of total loss in the case of mine. Don't make me start thinking about VAIO wireless LAN performance. I've just bought a netbook as the work Vaio was getting dangerously close to a good sammying.

Can you do what you want with a copy of VNC running on it?

Kevin

Or the built in Remote Desktop/Remote Assistance.

I have a real issue with VNC, ever since that day I was watching a recorded programme on the media centre, and an FTP window pops up, and some scrotebag was trying to install some naughties on my rather computer!

[Kevin Wood]

Or the built in Remote Desktop/Remote Assistance.

I have a real issue with VNC, ever since that day I was watching a recorded programme on the media centre, and an FTP window pops up, and some scrotebag was trying to install some naughties on my rather computer!

Oh, yes. I wouldn't expose it to the outside world in a million years, but over a relatively private network link it might do the job.

Keep forgetting that Remote Desktop is available.  That's what comes from developing for people who insist on not moving beyond Windows 2K.

Kevin

[TheBoy]

Or the built in Remote Desktop/Remote Assistance.

I have a real issue with VNC, ever since that day I was watching a recorded programme on the media centre, and an FTP window pops up, and some scrotebag was trying to install some naughties on my rather computer!

Oh, yes. I wouldn't expose it to the outside world in a million years, but over a relatively private network link it might do the job.

Keep forgetting that Remote Desktop is available.  That's what comes from developing for people who insist on not moving beyond Windows 2K.

Kevin

Doesn't W2K drop out of support in June (yes, I still support a shitload bucketload of W2K servers )

[Kevin Wood]

Doesn't W2K drop out of support in June (yes, I still support a shitload bucketload of W2K servers )

I don't think support will bother these guys (although their customers might think otherwise).

We're talking about a device where every user has to have admin rights or it doesn't play, and the installation of antivirus software knackers it due to it being so sensitive to real-time issues.

Think DOS software developers who move to windows and keep developing with exactly the same "the machine is mine - so what if I'm in a polling loop?" mentality. 

Kevin

[TheBoy]

Doesn't W2K drop out of support in June (yes, I still support a shitload bucketload of W2K servers )

I don't think support will bother these guys (although their customers might think otherwise).

We're talking about a device where every user has to have admin rights or it doesn't play, and the installation of antivirus software knackers it due to it being so sensitive to real-time issues.

Think DOS software developers who move to windows and keep developing with exactly the same "the machine is mine - so what if I'm in a polling loop?" mentality. 

Kevin

Hmm, yes, exactly.

That said, it took me a while to get to grips with Windows mentality.  Gave up doing any assembly langauge under Windows, it was just too much effort

[Kevin Wood]

That said, it took me a while to get to grips with Windows mentality.  Gave up doing any assembly langauge under Windows, it was just too much effort

I gave up trying to do assembly language on the X86. Whole architecture was such a kludge and it gets worse with every new chip. 

I remember a mate of mine at uni decided to do his final year project in assembler on Windows. Took him about 6 months to knock up an application that would have taken about 23 mouse clicks and a dozen lines of code in Dev Studio.

Give me a 680x0, an AVR or even a PIC. 

Kevin

[TheBoy]

That said, it took me a while to get to grips with Windows mentality.  Gave up doing any assembly langauge under Windows, it was just too much effort

I gave up trying to do assembly language on the X86. Whole architecture was such a kludge and it gets worse with every new chip. 

I remember a mate of mine at uni decided to do his final year project in assembler on Windows. Took him about 6 months to knock up an application that would have taken about 23 mouse clicks and a dozen lines of code in Dev Studio.

Give me a 680x0, an AVR or even a PIC. 

Kevin

Yeah, x86 is a mess at machine code level - that sthe price of backwards compatibility, and using a 1970s chip as your building block. x64 tidies up the memory management, but still trying to shine a log.


Intel/HP tried with IA64, but no tinker wants it as its not x86 compatible

[Mr Skrunts]

I have my neighbers PC - yes the one that thinks she is being hacked.  Sadly it's a Sony (VGC-M1 and during the period she moved she has lost all the system disks which makes it awkward to level it)

Again TIA.   

Found a Remote Desktop Icon in My Documents that brings up a log in screen.  Checked on MS web site http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/RDCLIENTDL.mspx and they say it is preinstalled in all versions of XP.

Now my PC and hers are both updated to SP3 but hers has what seems like a lot of tweaks and addons and stuff with a different look to it in different parts of windows.  But if I go to Control panel/system/remote my PC's allways have the remote assistance and the remote desktop panels.  Now the Vaio does not have the Remote Desktop section.  Now is this added/updated by default or is is something Sony have changed in thier package.  Just thought on.  I know mine is XP Pro, not sure if the Vaio is Home or Pro, should they both be the same inthe remote section.

She has mentioned seeing things pop up, then some thing else open up.  Printers getting disabled (So maybe she cant print files off) log files being written whilst open on screen and then deleted.  There also seems to be some obsure access via email and now she has trouble asseing it.  Even when checking her email at her sisters on her sisters PC, all the same problems have happened.

Her connection was via a BT vision package, and has even suffered odd phone calls, that when called back have been making noises that sound just like a fax.

It is something Ihave not seen happen myself as she suffered all this before I really got to know her, and ins eptember cancelled the BT vision package.  Sadly the problem has happended on her sisters since.  So she is thinking it may be email related.

We are leaving my connection out of it hence the 3G setup which we will be setting up tomorrow (Hopefully)

But can anyone recommend any software to try and find out who/what/where this problem maywell be coming from.  She has contacted the police but untill something happens they dont want to know.

Spybot and wireshark have apparenly not shown anything.

I have suggested a change in ISP and a new email addy when all is sorted.

TIA. 

[TheBoy]

XP Home doesn't have Remote Desktop (without hacking).