apensity

Lately I installed a new wireless extender (Netgear powerline extenders) and did not configure any security on them for a couple of weeks (no time).
Now, I see two connections down in my tray, one is my normal DSL connection, the other is an Internet Connection Sharing connection. I have Trojan Guard running, Spysweeper, have NAV2005, and use Sygate personal firewall (all are updated weekly). I ran a Hijack This log and do not see anything funny, but whenever I start the computer I see this new connection, then it disappears after a while. It has me worried. Is there any way for me to see what it is doing? It is sending a receving a lot of info, so I am thinking there is something going on that is fishy.
Thanks!

Mainframeguy

Fishy I doubt - seems to me you have added a Network Connection and it is being shown in your systray, which is normal behaviour. Xp can add these connections apparently on its own when you use the Networking Wizard so you may have been unawares. If it bothers you you can try disconnecting it and see what it breaks! That's the way I would go anyway. You have not explained the stuation of the need for extenders and which machine this is happening on - is it connected wirelessly or direct? Does it only happen on the one machine? I think you'll get an answer here one way or another with a little more information...

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omg its nlm

Internet Connection Sharing is active on my PC I just dont have it showing in the systray. If you go into your network settings you should be albe to change it not to show in systray. I am at work so I can not confirm this.

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Admiral Michael

But does he need Internet sharing?

apensity: dp you have a router or is the MODEM connected directly to your computer?

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apensity

It is showing on my DT. I have an SBC Speedstream CSU/DSU (DSL "modem") connected to a D-Link DI-524 wireless router. From there I have my DT connected to it through a CAT5 and the Netgear powerline module connected to it with a CAT5. The Netgear wireless adapter is located in antoher room (therefore the need for extended coverage as the DI-524 works worth a crap!). Since installing the Netgear I have noticed the extra connection in the Systray. However, it goes away eventually, so I know the Netgear does not need it to function and it doesn't bother me that it is there, but if someone got into the network while it was unprotected (no WPA), then I wanted to make sure it was now locked down tight. I do have Sygate PFW running, Trojan Hunter, Spy Sweeper, and several other detection devices (even ran NetTools' hacktrapper for a while to see if I saw anything weird happening). Everything seems fine except for some extra bandwidth showing through that extra connection. Just worried, as I do not want to become a zombie!
Thanks for the great replies!

Mainframeguy

if you want "locked down tight" then enable WEP with MAC addresses, end of story. Anything less is not tight....

Though Lord and I have wifi with no WEP ourselves we also live in a situation where our wifi broadcast is exremely limited geographically, unless there is someone in our back garden!

I think the "eventual disappearance" from your systray is likely an autohide after a timeout - if this is all that bothers you customize it to "always Hide".... I still think you need to answer Admirals questions and (maybe) mine.... so what happens if you disable it?

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apensity

The modem is connected to my router.
I do not need internet sharing.
I tried to disable it, but it keeps coming back. In the network explorer, I see the icon in the window but before I can disable it, it disappears and leaves my base connection and an add connection icon in the window. If I had a bridged network, it should stay there. I did disable it once, but it came back next time I logged on. Oh well, I guess I won't worry about it. I don't see anything loaded on my computer that shouldn't be there.