How to Configure a VPN

How to Configure a VPN

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) allow users working at home, on the road or at a branch office to connect in a secure manner to a remote corporate server using the public Internet. VPN server or host is a computer that accepts VPN connections from VPN clients. A VPN server or host can be a NT/W2K server or W2K/XP Pro. VPN client is a computer that initiates a VPN connection to a VPN server or host. A VPN client can be an individual computer running MS Windows NT version 4.0, Windows 2000, 9x. VPN clients can also be any non-Microsoft Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) client or Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) client using IPSec.

Steps

(1).Basic VPN Requirement

  • User Permission. Enable a user to access the VPN. To do this, go to AD Users and Computers, select the user who need to access the VPN, click Dial-in. Check Allow access on the Remote Access Permission (Dial-in or VPN).
  • IP Configuration. The VPN server should have a static IP address and assign the arrange IP addresses to VPN clients. The VPN server must also be configured with DNS and WINS server addresses to assign to the VPN client during the connection.
  • Data Encryption. Data carried on the public network should be rendered unreadable to unauthorized clients on the network.
  • Protocol Support. The TCP/IP is common protocols used in the public network. The VPN also include IP, Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX), NetBEUI and so on.
  • Firewall Ports. When you place a VPN server behind your firewall, be sure to enable IP protocol 47 (GRE) and TCP port 1723.
  • Interface(s) for VPN server. If your network doesn't have a router or the VPN is also a gateway, your computer must have at least two interfaces, one connecting to the Internet and another connecting to the LAN. If it is behind a router, you just need one NIC.
  • One interface for VPN client. The interface can be a dial-in modem, or a dedicated connection to the Internet.

(2).Configuring VPN in Windows XP Professional

  • For configuring the VPN connection, you need to have a static IP address of the remote computer of your company and the host name. You can configure the VPN connection in Windows XP Professional by the following method.
  • Click Start > Control Panel > Click Network and Internet connection > Click Network Connections.
  • Here you need to create new connection and click next.
  • Here click “Connect to network at my work place” click next.
  • Click “Virtual Private Network” and click next.
  • Here type the meaningful name for your company or any other network connection and click next.
  • Here click “Do not dial the initial connection and click next.
  • Here type the hostname and the IP address of the computer to which you want to connect.
  • Press next and then press finish.
  • (3).Installing VPN in Windows 2000 Professional

    • Make sure that you are connected to the internet and you are also connected to the LAN.
    • Start > Administrative Tools > Routing and Remote Access.
    • Click the server name in the tree and on the action menu click Configure and Enable Routing and Remote Access and click next.
    • Click Virtual Private Network (VPN Server) in the common configurations and click next.
    • In the remote client protocols, make sure that the TCP/IP is included in the list. Click yes to all available protocols and click next.
    • Select the Internet connection that will connect to the internet in the internet connection box and click next.
    • Select the Internet connection that will connect to the internet in the internet connection box and click next.
    • In the “Managing Multiple Remote Access Server select this option “No, I don’t want to setup this server to use Radius Server Now. Click Next > Click Finish.
    • Now right click on the Ports node and click properties now click WAN mini port (PPTP) and then click configure.
    • Type the maximum number of the allowed simultaneous PPTP VPN connections to this server.

    (4).Configuring VPN Server in Windows 2000

    • You can configure the VPN server further by the following methods.
    • Start > Admin Tools > Routing and Remote Access.
    • Right click the server name and then properties.
    • Select “Enable this computer as a router” on the general tab.
    • Here you have the choice to select Local Area Routing or LAN or Demand Dial Routing click ok and close all the dialog boxes.

    (5).Configuring VPN Connection in the Client Computer

    • Start > Settings > Network and dialup connection.
    • Make new connection.
    • Click next and then click connect to a private network through Internet.
    • Click Automatically Dial this initial connection and select your dial up internet connection from the list.
    • If you use cable modem then select “Do not dial this initial connection”.
    • Click next.
    • Here type the host name and the IP address of the remote computer to which you want to connect.
    • Type the descriptive name of the connection and click next.

    Tips

    • If your VPN client cannot find servers or cannot ping computernmae, you may need to add DNS and WINS into your VPN server. For example, to add DNS and WINS on a Cisco Firewall PIX, add vpdn group 1 client configuation dns dnsservername and vpdn group 1 client configuration wins winsservername.
    • If you have Windows 2003 server as VPN server, you can assign a static IP under user's properties. If you use other Windows OS as VPN server, you may want to create a DHCP reservation.
    • If you are running w2k/xp pro setup for a domain controller, you will have a option to "log on using dial-up connection" on logon screen after creating a VPN/dial-up connection. In the Log On to Windows dialog box, the user can select the Log on using dial-up connection check box. After clicking OK, the user is prompted to choose a network connection.

     

    HI Guys,Sorry for a late update..but trust me,as soon as I will get settled,I WILL BE A FULLTIME BLOGGER !

    Thanks for Supporting My Website and for keeping the good work up.

     

    Adios

    RD

    posted by XERO .WIKIHOW

  • Windows Dos Net commands

    Windows Dos Net commands
    Windows Dos Net commands help you to configure and sometimes hack into other PCs,using hacks like NULL SESSION and other ones.
    Here are these-

    NET [ ACCOUNTS | COMPUTER | CONFIG | CONTINUE | FILE | GROUP | HELP | HELPMSG | LOCALGROUP | NAME | PAUSE | PRINT | SEND | SESSION | SHARE | START | STATISTICS | STOP | TIME | USE | USER | VIEW ]

    NET ACCOUNTS Adjust account settings.
    [/FORCELOGOFF:{minutes | NO}] [/MINPWLEN:length]
    [/MAXPWAGE:{days | UNLIMITED}] [/MINPWAGE:days]
    [/UNIQUEPW:number] [/DOMAIN]

    NET COMPUTER Add other networked computers with Windows Domain Controller.
    \\computername {/ADD | /DEL}

    NET CONFIG Displays your current server and/or workgroup settings.
    [SERVER | WORKSTATION]

    NET CONTINUE Continues the use of service.
    [service]

    NET FILE Display opened shared files on the server.
    [id [/CLOSE]]

    NET GROUP Add, delete, view, and otherwise manage network workgroups.
    [groupname [/COMMENT:"text"]] [/DOMAIN]
    groupname {/ADD [/COMMENT:"text"] | /DELETE} [/DOMAIN]
    groupname username [...] {/ADD | /DELETE} [/DOMAIN]

    NET LOCALGROUP Add, delete, view, and otherwise manage network groups.
    [groupname [/COMMENT:"text"]] [/DOMAIN]
    groupname {/ADD [/COMMENT:"text"] | /DELETE} [/DOMAIN]
    groupname name [...] {/ADD | /DELETE} [/DOMAIN]

    NET NAME Create or delete name used for messaging.
    [name [/ADD | /DELETE]]

    NET PAUSE Pause the specified network service.
    [service]

    NET PRINT Manage network print jobs.
    \\computername\sharename
    [\\computername] job# [/HOLD | /RELEASE | /DELETE]

    NET SEND Sends messages to other users, computers, or messaging names on the network. The Messenger service must be running to receive messages.
    You can send a message only to an name that is active on the network. If the message is sent to a username, that user must be logged on and running the Messenger service to receive the message.

    {name | * | /DOMAIN[:name] | /USERS} message

    NET SESSION Display all sessions connected to the computer and deletes them if specified.
    [\\computername] [/DELETE]

    NET SHARE Create and manage a local network share.
    sharename
    sharename=drive:path [/USERS:number | /UNLIMITED]
    [/REMARK:"text"]
    [/CACHE:Manual | Documents| Programs | None ]
    sharename [/USERS:number | /UNLIMITED]
    [/REMARK:"text"]
    [/CACHE:Manual | Documents | Programs | None]
    {sharename | devicename | drive:path} /DELETE

    NET START Start the specified network service.
    [service]

    NET STATISTICS Display network statistics of the workstation or server.
    [WORKSTATION | SERVER]

    NET STOP Stop the specified network service.
    service

    NET TIME Display the time and date of another network computer.
    [\\computername | /DOMAIN[:domainname] | /RTSDOMAIN[:domainname]] [/SET]
    [\\computername] /QUERYSNTP
    [\\computername] /SETSNTP[:ntp server list]

    NET USE Connects or disconnects your computer from a shared resource or displays information about your connections.
    [devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
    [/USER:[domainname\]username]
    [/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
    [/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
    [/SMARTCARD]
    [/SAVECRED]
    [[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

    NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

    NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]

    NET USER Displays users on the computer and/or domain.
    [username [password | *] [options]] [/DOMAIN]
    username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]
    username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]

    NET VIEW Displays a list of computers in a specified workgroup or the shared resources available on a specified computer.
    [\\computername [/CACHE] | /DOMAIN[:domainname]]
    NET VIEW /NETWORK:NW [\\computername]


    Windows 2000 syntax

    NET CONFIG Displays your current workgroup settings.
    NET CONFIG [/YES]

    /YES Carries out the NET CONFIG command without
    first prompting you to provide information or
    confirm actions.

    NET DIAG Runs the Microsoft Network Diagnostics program to test the hardware connection between two computers and to display information about a single computer.

    NET DIAGNOSTICS [/NAMES | /STATUS]

    /NAMES Specifies a diagnostic server name in order to avoid conflicts when NET DIAG is used simultaneously by multiple users. This option works only when the network uses a NetBIOS protocol.
    /STATUS Enables you to specify a computer about which you want network diagnostics information.


    NET HELP Displays information about NET commands and error messages.
    command /?
    NET HELP [suffix]
    NET HELP errornum



    command /? Specifies the Microsoft NET command that you want information about.
    suffix Specifies the second word of the command you want information about. For example, the suffix of NET VIEW is VIEW.
    errornum Specifies the number of the error message that you want information about.

    NET INIT Loads protocol and network-adapter drivers without binding them to Protocol Manager. This command may be required if you are using a third-party network-adapter driver. You can then bind the drivers to Protocol Manager by typing NET START NETBIND.
    NET INITIALIZE [/DYNAMIC]



    /DYNAMIC Loads the Protocol Manager dynamically. This is useful with some third-party networks, such as Banyan(R) VINES(R), to resolve memory problems.

    NET LOGOFF Breaks the connection between your computer and the shared resources to which it is connected.
    NET LOGOFF [/YES]



    /YES Carries out the NET LOGOFF command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.

    NET LOGON Identifies you as a member of a workgroup.
    NET LOGON [user [password | ?]] [/DOMAIN:name] [/YES] [/SAVEPW:NO]



    user Specifies the name that identifies you in your workgroup. The name you specify can contain up to 20 characters.
    password The unique string of characters that authorizes you to gain access to your password-list file. The password can contain up to 14 characters.
    ? Specifies that you want to be prompted for your password.
    /DOMAIN Specifies that you want to log on to a Microsoft Windows NT or LAN Manager domain. name Specifies the Windows NT or LAN Manager domain you want to log on to.
    /YES Carries out the NET LOGON command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.
    /SAVEPW:NO Carries out the NET LOGON command without prompting you to create a password-list file.

    If you would rather be prompted to type your user name and password instead of specifying them in the NET LOGON command line, type NET LOGON without options.

    NET PASSWORD Changes your logon password.
    NET PASSWORD [oldpassword [newpassword]]
    NET PASSWORD \\computer | /DOMAIN:name [user [oldpassword [newpassword]]]



    oldpassword Specifies your current password.
    newpassword Specifies your new password. It can have as many as 14 characters.
    computer Specifies the Windows NT or LAN Manager server on which you want to change your password.
    /DOMAIN Specifies that you want to change your
    password on a Windows NT or LAN Manager domain.
    name Specifies the Windows NT or LAN Manager domain on which
    you want to change your password.
    user Specifies your Windows NT or LAN Manager user name.

    The first syntax line above is for changing the password for your password-list file. The second syntax line above is for changing your password on a Windows NT or LAN Manager server or domain.

    NET PRINT Displays information about print queues and controls print jobs.
    NET PRINT \\computer[\printer] | port [/YES]
    NET PRINT \\computer | port [job# [/PAUSE | /RESUME | /DELETE]] [/YES]



    computer Specifies the name of the computer whose print queue you want information about.
    printer Specifies the name of the printer you want information about.
    port Specifies the name of the parallel (LPT) port on your computer that is connected to the printer you want information about.
    job# Specifies the number assigned to a queued print job. You can specify the below options.
    /PAUSE Pauses a print job.
    /RESUME Restarts a print job that has been paused.
    /DELETE Cancels a print job.
    /YES Carries out the NET PRINT command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.

    When you specify the name of a computer by using the NET PRINT command, you receive information about the print queues on each of the shared printers that are connected to the computer.

    NET SEND NET SEND {name | * | /DOMAIN[:name] | /USERS} message
    Sends messages to other users, computers, or messaging names on the network. The Messenger service must be running to receive messages.

    You can send a message only to an name that is active on the network. If the message is sent to a username, that user must be logged on and running the Messenger service to receive the message.

    name Is the username, computername, or messaging name to send the message to. If the name is a computername that contains blank characters, enclose the alias in quotation marks (" ").
    * Sends the message to all the names in your group.
    /DOMAIN[:name] Sends the message to all the names in the workstation domain. If name is specified, the message is sent to all the names in the specified domain or workgroup.
    /USERS Sends the message to all users connected to the server.
    message Is text to be sent as a message.

    NET SHARE NET SHARE sharename


    sharename=drive:path [/USERS:number | /UNLIMITED]
    [/REMARK:"text"]
    [/CACHE:Manual | Automatic | No ]
    sharename [/USERS:number | /UNLIMITED]
    [/REMARK:"text"]
    [/CACHE:Manual | Automatic | No ]
    {sharename | devicename | drive:path} /DELETE

    NET START Starts services. NOTE: Services cannot be started from a command prompt within Windows.
    NET START [BASIC | NWREDIR | WORKSTATION | NETBIND | NETBEUI | NWLINK] [/LIST] [/YES] [/VERBOSE]



    BASIC Starts the basic redirector.
    NWREDIR Starts the Microsoft Novell(R) compatible redirector.
    WORKSTATION Starts the default redirector.
    NETBIND Binds protocols and network-adapter drivers.
    NETBEUI Starts the NetBIOS interface.
    NWLINK Starts the IPX/SPX-compatible interface.
    /LIST Displays a list of the services that are running.
    /YES Carries out the NET START command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.
    /VERBOSE Displays information about device drivers and services as they are loaded.

    To start the workgroup redirector you selected during Setup, type NET START without options. In general, you don't need to use any of the options.

    NET STOP Stops services. NOTE: Services cannot be stopped from a command prompt within Windows.

    NET STOP [BASIC | NWREDIR | WORKSTATION | NETBEUI | NWLINK] [/YES]

    NET STOP Stops the basic redirector.
    BASIC Stops the basic redirector.
    NWREDIR Stops the Microsoft Novell(R) compatible redirector.
    WORKSTATION Stops the default redirector.
    NETBEUI Stops the NetBIOS interface.
    NWLINK Stops the IPX/SPX compatible interface.
    /YES Carries out the NET STOP command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.

    To stop the workgroup redirector, type NET STOP without options. This breaks all your connections to shared resources and removes the NET commands from your computer's memory.

    NET TIME Displays the time on or synchronizes your computer's clock with the shared clock on a Microsoft Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows 95, or NetWare time server.
    NET TIME [\\computer | /WORKGROUP:wgname] [/SET] [/YES]



    computer Specifies the name of the computer (time server) whose time you want to check or synchronize your computer's clock with.
    /WORKGROUP Specifies that you want to use the clock on a computer (time server) in another workgroup.
    wgname Specifies the name of the workgroup containing a computer whose clock you want to check or synchronize your computer's clock with. If there are multiple time servers in that workgroup, NET TIME uses the first one it finds.
    /SET Synchronizes your computer's clock with the clock on the computer or workgroup you specify.
    /YES Carries out the NET TIME command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.

    NET USE Connects or disconnects your computer from a shared resource or displays information about your connections.
    NET USE [drive: | *] [\\computer\directory [password | ?]]
    [/SAVEPW:NO] [/YES] [/NO]
    NET USE [port:] [\\computer\printer [password | ?]]
    [/SAVEPW:NO] [/YES] [/NO]

    NET USE drive: | \\computer\directory /DELETE [/YES]
    NET USE port: | \\computer\printer /DELETE [/YES]
    NET USE * /DELETE [/YES]

    NET USE drive: | * /HOME



    drive Specifies the drive letter you assign to a shared directory.
    * Specifies the next available drive letter. If used with /DELETE, specifies to disconnect all of your connections.
    port Specifies the parallel (LPT) port name you assign to a shared printer.
    computer Specifies the name of the computer sharing the resource.
    directory Specifies the name of the shared directory.
    printer Specifies the name of the shared printer.
    password Specifies the password for the shared resource, if any.
    ? Specifies that you want to be prompted for the password of the shared resource. You don't need to use this option unless the password is optional.
    /SAVEPW:NO Specifies that the password you type should not be saved in your password-list file. You need to retype the password the next time you connect to this resource.
    /YES Carries out the NET USE command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.
    /DELETE Breaks the specified connection to a shared
    resource.
    /NO Carries out the NET USE command, responding with NO automatically when you are prompted to confirm actions.
    /HOME Makes a connection to your HOME directory if one is specified in your LAN Manager or Windows NT user account.

    To list all of your connections, type NET USE without options.

    NET VER Displays the type and version number of the workgroup redirector you are using.
    NET VER

    NET VIEW Displays a list of computers in a specified workgroup or the shared resources available on a specified computer.
    NET VIEW [\\computer] [/YES]
    NET VIEW [/WORKGROUP:wgname] [/YES]



    computer Specifies the name of the computer whose shared resources you want to see listed.
    /WORKGROUP Specifies that you want to view the names of the computers in another workgroup that share resources.
    wgname Specifies the name of the workgroup whose computer names you want to view.
    /YES Carries out the NET VIEW command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.

    To display a list of computers in your workgroup that share
    resources, type NET VIEW without options.


    Examples

    net use z: \\computer\folder

    Map the Z: drive to the network path //computer/folder.

    net send mrhope "There is hope!"

    Send a text message to the computer with a host name of "mrhope" the message "There is hope!". Note: This command only works for Windows versions that support this command.

    Note: Many computers today have also disabled the messenger service, if this service is disabled you will be unable to send/receive net send messages. Additional information about how this service is disabled can be found on document CH0000519. If you need this service enabled, follow the instructions on this page and choose to enable the service instead of disabling it.

    net config workstation

    Display additional information about the network such as the computers name, workgroup, logon domain, DNS, and other useful information.

    net view \\hope

    View the available computers and their shared resources you may use either of the below commands. The first example displays available computers. The last command would display the shared resources on the hope computer.

    net localgroup

    Display all groups currently setup on the computer you're running the command on.

    net share

    Display all network shares on your computer.

    net share hope=c:\hope\files

    Create a share called "hope" for the "c:\hope\files" directory.

    POsted by XERO

    Tekken 6 on XBOX 360 !

    Namco Bandai has announced that their Sony-only fighting series Tekken will hit both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.
    The announcement comes as yet another high-profile defection for a traditionally Sony-only series. All previous Tekken games, with the exception of the GBA spinoff Tekken Advance, have been exclusive to Sony consoles.
    By confirming that Tekken 6 will launch on the Xbox 360 as well as the PlayStation 3, Namco Bandai joins a growing list of developers who are abandoning old Sony ties to take a multi-platform approach to game development. Other recent examples of top Sony series heading to the Xbox 360 have included Grand Theft Auto IV, Soul Calibur IV, Devil May Cry 4, and most surprisingly, Final Fantasy XIII (a move announced at E3 2008).
    The fact that Tekken 6 will land on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3 can only be seen as a win for Microsoft, who has struggled to be taken seriously among Japanese game publishers. But with the Xbox 360's worldwide numbers currently eclipsing those of the PlayStation 3, more and more publishers are finding that a multi-platform development strategy is paying off.
    Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion will arrive on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Fall of 2009.

    Posted by XERO . PCWORLD

    Plasma vs LCD TVs

    Plasma vs LCD TVs
    Due to influx of latest technological additions in the market,thought to mark a spotlight at the consumer TV segment...
    Here we go...

    Size: Both LCD TVs and plasma TVs are thin as you could hope for. In screen size plasmas usually run larger though don’t usually come in smaller sizes, which is sometimes needed.

    Viewing Angle:Plasma have a wider viewing angle.

    Life Span: Both have good lifespan.

    Issues: Plasma sometimes suffer from “burn in” effect. LCD TVs are sometimes susceptible to a delay that causes the outline of figures or objects to appear jagged.

    Color: LCD TVs are renowned for a sharp picture and vibrant color. Plasma TVs are known for a wide range of colors and accurate color reproduction. Brightness: LCD TVs are said to do slightly better in bright-light conditions. Black Levels: Plasma TVs generally produce very black blacks whereas an LCD TV will produce a very dark charcoal gray. Contrast Levels: Plasma TVs, technically, are said to have greater contrast levels.

    Cost: Prices for both types of TVs are decreasing rapidly.

    What advantages does plasma have over LCD?

    Apart from better contrast due to its ability to show deeper blacks, plasma screens typically have better viewing angles than LCD. Viewing angles are how far you can sit on either side of a screen before the picture's quality is affected. You tend to see some brightness and colour shift when you're on too far of an angle with LCDs, while a plasma's picture remains fairly solid. This is steadily changing, however, with more and more LCDs entering the market with viewing angles equal to or greater than some plasmas. Plasmas can also produce a brighter colour, once again due to light leakage on an LCD affecting its colour saturation.

    Plasma pundits will also tell you that some LCD screens have a tendency to blur images, particularly during fast moving scenes in movies or in sports. While that was true for older generation LCD screens, newer models have improved significantly - so much so that the differences in performance between LCDs and plasmas in this regard is almost negligible (here's a tip -- if you're shopping for LCDs, check the refresh rate. The lower it is, the better the image quality in fast moving scenes).

    Perhaps the biggest advantage plasmas have now over their LCD cousins is price, particularly in the large screen end of the market. Plasmas typically come in larger sizes than LCDs at a cheaper price.

    What advantages does LCD have over plasma?

    It's not all doom and gloom for LCD though, as it has the edge over plasma in several key areas. LCDs tend to have higher native resolution than plasmas of similar size, which means more pixels on a screen. If you're a true high-def junkie who's keen to see every pixel of a high-res 1080i/p image reproduced pixel-by-pixel (providing you have a source that high, of course), then LCDs are the way to go.

    LCDs also tend to consume less power than plasma screens, with some estimates ranging that power saving at up to 30 per cent less than plasma. LCDs are also generally lighter than similar sized plasmas, making it easier to move around or wall mount.

    LCD pundits also point to the fact that LCDs have a longer lifespan than plasma screens. This was true of earlier plasma models, which would lose half of their brightness after more than 20,000 hours of viewing. Later plasma generations have bumped that up to anything between 30,000 and 60,000 hours. LCDs, on the other hand, are guaranteed for 60,000 hours.

    You might have also heard that plasmas suffer from screen burn in, an affliction not as commonly associated with LCDs. Screen burn in occurs when an image is left too long on a screen, resulting in a ghost of that image burned in permanently. Newer plasmas are less susceptible to this thanks to improved technology and other features such built-in screen savers, but we still hear anecdotal reports here of burn-in with new plasmas.

    Which is better value for me right now: plasma or LCD?

    If you're in the market for a big screen television -- and we're talking 42-inches and above -- then plasma is a safe bet. Plasmas give you more bang for your buck at the big end of town, and while LCDs can give you better resolution, the price difference is currently too wide. However, if money's not an issue and you want the sharpest image in town, then a large LCD is for you. At the smaller end of things (15" to 36" TVs), LCD is the only way to go if you want something slim and tasteful. And the best thing is that LCDs are getting cheaper all the time.

    Posted by XERO. CREDITS-hifivision.com -Anil

    Hide Your Files In A JPEG

    Hide Your Files In A JPEG
    Well, did you know you could hide your files in a JPEG file? For this, you will only need to download WinRAR. You just need to have a little knowledge about Command Prompt and have WinRAR installed.

    Ok, lets begin…

    1. Gather all the files that you wish to hide in a folder anywhere in your PC (make it in C:\hidden - RECOMMENDED).
    2. Now, add those files in a RAR archive (e.g. secret.rar). This file should also be in the same directory (C:\hidden).
    3. Now, look for a simple JPEG picture file (e.g. logo.jpg). Copy/Paste that file also in C:\hidden.
    4. Now, open Command Prompt (Go to Run and type ‘cmd‘). Make your working directory C:\hidden.
    5. Now type: “COPY /b logo.jpg + secret.rar output.jpg” (without quotes) - Now, logo.jpg is the picture you want to show, secret.rar is the file to be hidden, and output.jpg is the file which contains both. :D
    6. Now, after you have done this, you will see a file output.jpg in C:\hidden. Open it (double-click) and it will show the picture you wanted to show. Now try opening the same file with WinRAR, it will show the hidden archive...
    This hack will allow you to hide files in jpegs's without software installed.

    POSTED BY XERO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    NMAP

    NMAP at work Nmap ("Network Mapper") is a free and open source (license) utility for network exploration or security auditing. Many systems and network administrators also find it useful for tasks such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime.Nmap is a security scanner originally written by Gordon Lyon (Fyodor). It may be used to discover computers and services on a computer network, thus creating a "map" of the network. Just like many simple port scanners, Nmap is capable of discovering passive services on a network despite the fact that such services aren't advertising themselves with a service discovery protocol. In addition Nmap may be able to determine various details about the remote computers. These include operating system, device type, uptime, software product used to run a service, exact version number of that product, presence of some firewall techniques and, on a local area network, even vendor of the remote network card.
    Nmap runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows, Solaris, and BSD (including Mac OS X), and also on AmigaOS.Linux is the most popular nmap platform and Windows the second most popular.
    Nmap uses raw IP packets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating systems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packet filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks, but works fine against single hosts.

    Nmap is ...

    • Flexible: Supports dozens of advanced techniques for mapping out networks filled with IP filters, firewalls, routers, and other obstacles. This includes many port scanning mechanisms (both TCP & UDP), OS detection, version detection, ping sweeps, and more. See the documentation page.
    • Powerful: Nmap has been used to scan huge networks of literally hundreds of thousands of machines.
    • Portable: Most operating systems are supported, including Linux, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, IRIX, Mac OS X, HP-UX, NetBSD, Sun OS, Amiga, and more.
    • Easy: While Nmap offers a rich set of advanced features for power users, you can start out as simply as "nmap -v -A targethost". Both traditional command line and graphical (GUI) versions are available to suit your preference. Binaries are available for those who do not wish to compile Nmap from source.
    • Free: The primary goals of the Nmap Project is to help make the Internet a little more secure and to provide administrators/auditors/hackers with an advanced tool for exploring their networks. Nmap is available for free download, and also comes with full source code that you may modify and redistribute under the terms of the license.
    • Well Documented: Significant effort has been put into comprehensive and up-to-date man pages, whitepapers, and tutorials. Find them in multiple languages here.
    • Supported: While Nmap comes with no warranty, it is well supported by a vibrant community of developers and users. Most of this interaction occurs on the Nmap mailing lists. Most bug reports and questions should be sent to the nmap-dev list, but only after you read the guidelines. We recommend that all users subscribe to the low-traffic nmap-hackers announcement list.
    • Acclaimed: Nmap has won numerous awards, including "Information Security Product of the Year" by Linux Journal, Info World and Codetalker Digest. It has been featured in hundreds of magazine articles, several movies, dozens of books, and one comic book series. Visit the press page for further details.
    • Popular: Thousands of people download Nmap every day, and it is included with many operating systems (Redhat Linux, Debian Linux, Gentoo, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc). It is among the top ten (out of 30,000) programs at the Freshmeat.Net repository. This is important because it lends Nmap its vibrant development and user support communities.

    Features

    • Host Discovery - Identifying computers on a network, for example listing the computers which respond to pings, or which have a particular port open
    • Port Scanning - Enumerating the open ports on one or more target computers
    • Version Detection - Interrogating listening network services listening on remote computers to determine the application name and version number
    • OS Detection - Remotely determining the operating system and some hardware characteristics of network devices.

    Typical uses of Nmap:

    • Auditing the security of a computer, by identifying the network connections which can be made to it.
    • Identifying open ports on a target computer in preparation for auditing
    • Network inventory, maintenance, and asset management
    • Auditing the security of a network, by identifying unexpected new servers.

     

    Modules and libraries utilizing Nmap:

    Nmap's preferred output format is XML, which comes in handy for interpreted languages because they can parse and present this information for use by users' scripts.

     

    Download NMAP

     

    Posted by XERO  Excerpts form Nmap site and wikipedia

    Copy and Burn XBOX and Gamecube games

    Copy and Burn XBOX and Gamecube games
    Tired of searching how to copy XBOX and GAMECUBE games ? well here is a guide to it.You need CDRWIN and FIREBURNER and you can get those by a little Googling.I have tested this in Microsoft Windows XP.
    BURNING X-BOX & GAMECUBE GAMES USEING CDRWIN
    • Insert your original in your DVD ROM.
    • Open CDRWin (or any other image extractor) to make an iso image of the game on your hard disc. Click on 'Extract Disc/Tracks/Sectors'
    • Here are the settings which work for me (!):
    Disc Image/Cue sheet
    File-Format: Automatic
    Reading-Options:RAW, CD+G, CD-TEXT and MCN/USRC all Unchecked
    Error Recovery: Ignore
    Jitter Correction: Auto
    Subcode Analyses: Fixed
    Data-Speed: MAX
    Read Retry Count: 10
    Audio Speed: MAX
    Subcode Threshold: 900
    There are a lot of reports, that Raw reading also works, but I had problems with it enabled.
    Click on 'Start'

    RECORDING TO A DISC

    • Install Fireburner
    • Double click on the Cue File For The Game
    • Right Click And select burn To CD.
    Sorry Guys for  less posts,for shifting is taking its toll.
    I will be fulltime soon

    Posted by XERO . UNKNOWN AUTHOR

    Increase Dialup Modem Speed

    Increase Dialup Modem Speed
    Internet has undergone a revolution,almost everybody has broadband in their homes today. But still a big chunk of netizens rely on Dialup modems to access to Internet.Going at a peak sped of 56.6 KBps,these modems are pathetically slow when compared to other Internet services.Also You can't assume that just because you connected at a speed like 48.3KBps that you will stay there. Today's modems automatically fall back to a lower speed if the line noise is too high to maintain a faster connection, but sometimes they fall back too soon or too far.

    Here's how to do it:

      1. Click Start the button.
      2. Select Settings.
      3. Click Control Panel.
      4. Double-click on the Modems icon.
      5. Select your modem.
      6. Click the Properties button.
      7. Click the Connections tab.
      8. Click the Advanced button.
      9. In the "Extra settings" field, type S36=7
      10. Click OK to save your settings.
    This will force your modem to try to stay connected at high speeds in two different ways before dropping back to an asynchronous mode with auto speed buffering.Atleast it will give your modem a shot in the arm :)

    NOTE :Sorry for lesser post frequency,the shifting is taking its toll. but dont worry, I will resume to fulltime blogging soon.
    Thank You Guys

    Posted by XERO

    Shifting To New City :)

    Shifting To New City :)
    HI Guys.
    I am shifting to new city in few days,so I may not be able to post for 2 days. Sorry for that.I know how much You like to read at my blog.
    I will be back ASAP. Stay tuned. Also I m getting a new job so You may experience dazzling posts in future and thats a promise.

    Your Old Pal
    XERO

    View a "live" view of a logfile on Linux

    View a "live" view of a logfile on Linux
    This approach works for any linux operating system, including Ubuntu, and is probably most often used in conjunction with web development work.

    tail -f /path/thefile.log
    This will give you a scrolling view of the logfile. As new lines are added to the end, they will show up in your console screen.

    For Ruby on Rails, for instance, you can view the development logfile by running the command from your project directory:

    tail -f log/development.log
    As with all linux apps, Ctrl+C will stop it.

     

    Posted by XERO . THANKS TO HOW TO GEEK - SOURCE

    Change XP Start Button

    Change XP Start Button
    Some times You just wanna make that [Start] menu button go away or the geek inside you inspires you to change the start button..but how ? You can change the start button by using various tools but if you wanna do it hardcore then read on...
    First you need a tool called "Resource Hacker". This free program allows you to change resources in any .exe file such as "Explorer.exe", which includes the [Start] button's Label. You can visit Download.com and search there for "Resource Hacker" or you can download it here
    After you download it, follow the guide here:

    Step 1:

    A - Run "Resource Hacker" and open the file "%windir%\Explorer.exe".
    B - You see a Tree of all Resources in this file, expand the "String Table"
    C - Find the "start" and replace it with your own text. then press the [Compile Script] button.
    D - Save "Explorer.exe" as "MyStart.exe" DONT save it as Explorer.exe, do "save as.." and give it a new name.
    E - Quit "Resource Hacker".

    Step 2:

    A - Click on the [Start] button and choose the "Run..." item from the start menu. (Or use the shortcut key WinKey+R)
    B - Type "RegEdit" in the Run "Dialog Box". And then press the [Ok] buton to run the "Registry Editor" program.
    C - Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and find the "Shell" property.
    D - Replace value of the "Shell" property to "MyStart.exe".
    E - Quit "Registry Editor".
    F - Restart your system.

    Note -If you did not find the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon", you can search the Registry for the "Explorer.exe", to do this use the Edit Menu | Find Next (Ctrl+F).
     

    Posted by XERO 


    23 Tips to Speed up XP

    23 Tips to Speed up XP
    Windows XP has been hailed as a system hog and subjected to various speed slowdowns from quite a longtime.Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.
    • To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.
    • If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.
    • Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check:
    First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key.
    This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.
    • Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for. Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.
    Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.
    • Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS.
    • Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.
    • Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how:
     Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.
    • In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by:
    double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1.
    Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.
    • Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.
    • Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.
    • Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility.Here's how:
     First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts.
    Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.
    • Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
    • Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it:
    First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance.
    Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer only its responsiveness.
    • If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered here.
    • Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.
    • Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.
    • Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts that is, anything over 500 will noticeably tax the system.
    • Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.
    • Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.
    • If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.
    • Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.
    • If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip:
    Open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option.
    You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.
    • At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.
    Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.



    Posted by XERO . UNKNOWN SOURCE AND AUTHOR .


    How to remove Windows XP splash Screen and See Boot Operations

    How to remove Windows XP splash Screen and See Boot Operations
    Are you having boot up problems and would like to know what it going on behind that Windows Loading Logo? To find out, you can disable the splash screen by making a small change to the Boot.ini file. Maybe you can get a hint or two by viewing what has messed up your OS or just for curiosity,once can disable Windows logo screen and  view boot operations.

    Follow these steps (carefully!):

    1. Open the "System Properties" dialog box ( Settings - Control Panel - System)
    2. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button in the "Startup And Recovery" section.
    3. In the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box, select the Edit button in the "System Startup" section.
    4. The Boot.ini file will open in Notepad; locate the line that ends with the /fastdetect switch.
    5. Position your cursor to the right after the parameter, press the spacebar, and add the /SOS switch.
    6. Save the Boot.ini file, and close Notepad.
    7. Click Cancel to close both the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box and the "System Properties" dialog box.
    8. Restart the computer to see the effect.
    Once the computer restarts you will notice that the Windows Splash Screen is no longer present. Instead you can observe some of the boot up operations that Windows XP performs during the startup stage.

    To re-enable the splash screen, follow the same procedure but remove the "/SOS".



    Posted by XERO


    Test Your Antivirus Installation

    Test Your Antivirus Installation
    After installing an Antivirus, you may logically wonder, how do I know if it's working ? The answer is a test virus. The EICAR Standard AntiVirus Test File is a combined effort by anti-virus vendors throughout the world to implement one standard by which customers can verify their anti-virus installations.

    To test your installation, copy the following line into its own file, then save the file with the name EICAR.COM. More detailed instructions are found below.

    X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
    The file size will be 68 or 70 bytes.

    If VirusScan is running and configured correctly, when you try to save the file, VirusScan will detect the virus. If VirusScan is not running, start it and scan the directory that contains EICAR.COM. When your software scans this file, it will report finding the EICAR test file. The antivirus industry, through the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research, has adopted this standard to facilitate this need.

    Note that this file is NOT A VIRUS. Delete the file when you have finished testing your installation to avoid alarming unsuspecting users.

    NOTES - The file is simply a text file of either 68 or 70 bytes that is a legitimate executable file called a COM file that can run by Microsoft operating systems and some work-alikes, including OS/2. When executed, will print "EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!" and stop. The test string was specifically engineered to consist of ASCII human-readable characters, easily created using a standard computer keyboard. It makes use of self-modifying code to work around technical issues that this constraint makes on the execution of the test string.


    posted by XERO

    Cool Javascript Trick

    Cool Javascript Trick
    Its an old Orkut trick already which used to stumble upon at Orkut and various forums. you probably would have seen it but its a memorable one.Try this

    •  Go to http://www.google.com
    •  Click "images"
    •  Fill in "bikes, flowers, cars" or any other word.
    •  You will get a page with alot of images thumbnailed.
    •  Now delete the URL on the addressbar
    (example:http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=flowers&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
    • Copy the script down here, and paste it in your address bar.
    javascript:R= 0; x1=.1; y1=.05; x2=.25; y2=.24; x3=1.6; y3=.24; x4=300; y4=200; x5=300; y5=200; DI= document.images; DIL=DI.length; function A(){for(i=0; i<DIL; i++){DIS=DI[ i ].style; DIS.position='absolute'; DIS.left=Math. sin(R*x1+ i*x2+x3)* x4+x5; DIS.top=Math. cos(R*y1+ i*y2+y3)* y4+y5}R++ }setInterval('A()',5); void(0)
    posted by XERO