Windows XP OS | Linux OS

This was tested on PC with Windows XP. When looking up IT term meaning go to

Run Web server Dynamic DNS Network Security Using Non-Admin Account Run File server Run Remote Control Run VPN Share Files and Printers on LAN

Run Web server
When there is High-Speed internet available why to pay $$$ for domain hosting? Any home computer can do that! On the other hand not to suffer any service interruptions due to hardware failure, possible power problems and also for security reasons I recommend using commercial hosting server for serious web hosting. Nowadays the service fees went quite down. For setting up a server at home DSL connection is better than cable, upload speeds are much higher and also DSL doesn't suffer with so big speed fluctuations. Test your speed at (very accurate) from www.speakeasy.net. The best information on DSL server and good introduction to LAN and WAN Networking can be found at www.dslwebserver.com.What kind of server software to use? The best one! It's free, it's Apache and it can be downloaded from httpd.apache.org, all setting documentation is there or at www.mundy.org/xp/#Apache. Apache system files contain a log file that carries information about all users that visited your web server. You can find a little about their internet provider and geographical location at www.whois.sc. For security and performance reasons it is better not to use the web server PC for a personal use, storing sensitive files or for applications as MS Word and so on. Port 80 may be forwarded on your firewall or router.

Dynamic DNS
Most DSL providers don't change your IP Address too frequently, the IP number can be unchanged for months on. But when this happens all your friends have to be updated about your new IP otherwise your web site is not accessible for them. Check your IP Number here www.whatismyip.com. The static IP can be also purchased but that is not necessary. One can use free dynamic DNS service. The only thing needed to be purchased is the domain name (that can go for as low as $7 per year), small DNS update application has to be installed on the PC and names of the DNS Servers have to be changed to those of the Dynamic DNS Service provider. Basics about DNS can be learned here www.dslwebserver.com/main/DNS.html. I found useful this free of charge service www.dnsexit.com, my setup is that it pings yahoo web site every 15 minutes to check for internet connection and every hour it checks my IP Address against the stored one and makes DNS updates if necessary.

Network Security
Since all is running on Windows XP, all is secure as an operating system is secure. Check if your computer is secure at Shields Up! at https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2. Check which ports are open on your computer at www.canyouseeme.org. For any PC connected to the internet anti virus software and Windows OS updated are bare minimum. An unprotected computer used by a novice runs the risk of being infected mere minutes after a broadband connection to the Internet is formed. Free of charge anti virus from Czech based company can be found here free.grisoft.com. More how anti virus works at www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=371. Router Firewall (Network Address Translation) together with installed firewall software can provide better security. Free Firewall for personal/home use smb.sygate.com. More about how firewall works at www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1450. Viruses can log your keyboard activity, that means your passwords can be send to hackers, your PC can be used as a free storage space or server. Nobody wants to become a PC Zombie, right? About computer zombies and other related stuff news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=291452005. Very common is to receive viruses via e-mails as their attachments or phishing links, on Windows platforms it is almost 90% how they are spread, the second most common way is just when browsing the internet and visiting the wrong web site. If you are "being lucky" and just opened email attachment with new unknown virus your anti virus software will not be able to protect you, it may later in a day or two after it gives out new updates. I found very useful to block any dangers executable files from opening themselves using this executable file filter from www.beyondlogic.org/solutions/trust-no-exe/trust-no-exe.htm. You can set up which folders are to be on Access list and which on Deny list. Just for an easy setup the whole root folder was set as an accessible one then folders for email attachments and for Temporary Internet files were set up as to be filtered (denied). This way any downloaded virus either by email or by internet browsing is blocked from opening itself. Also spy ware and ad ware can really slow down not only your computer but your internet connection as well by exploiting your bandwidth. Usually by sending some of your activity information to commercial web servers. Some of those little programs running at the PC background can even disable or damage Windows OS. After installing them Windows OS becomes unreliable and damage even continues after uninstalling that kind of annoying software as windows registry is damaged. Many people from IT industry think that spy ware and ad ware are becoming a bigger threat to security and computer operations than viruses themselves. Very useful and still free spy ware and ad ware cleaner software as Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.com or SpyBot Search&Destroy from www.safer-networking.org mentioned in PCWorld magazine. Beware that some commercial anitivirus software packages don't like to run with them together. More on this theme at www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1620. Another thing is to not jump to any free unchecked applet or software installation option when surfing the net! When experiencing loosing internet connection, really slow internet or PC slowing down or even freezing up frequently, there is 99% probability that it is spy ware, ad ware or viruses.

Using Non-Admin Account
Recently I've started using security policies that has been known to Linux users from its very origin. For daily tasks limited account is set up, user cannot change any system settings or install any applications, that includes viruses or spy ware. For only administrator tasks there is an administrator account with full rights and accesses, no e-mail is accessed or unknown web sites are open from this account (too dangerous). To summarize it I followed these steps (good for Windows XP Home):

1. uninstall all network services and protocols except TCP/IP
2. make guest account password protected http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/windowsxp/a/aa042204.htm
3. rename default Administrator account and give it a password. Advanced User Management screen is necessary to use for Win XP Home. Click Start->Run->control userpasswords2, or follow this at http://www.leeindy.com/renadmin2.shtml
4. create Administrator account that doesn't suggest by it's name that it is Administrator, this will be used for system changes only. Strong hard to guess password is recommended.
5. create limited Account for daily tasks
6. create another limited Account with name Administrator with some very long and hard to break password. This will be a dummy Administrator account, only for misleading any attackers
7. turn off Fast Switching between accounts (may cause security problems)
8. disable all unnecessary windows services http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
9. for older applications that won't work in limited account change permissions and use runas.exe tool as described in http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/xprunas.htm. When running Photoshop in a limited account access rights for Scratch Disk and for Check Spelling feature have to be change in order to work according to www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/328409.html
10. set automated Windows XP updates http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14167743
11. Use www.Fifefox.com instead of Internet Explorer. IE still have some way to access system files even when running with nonadmin access rights.
12. install firewall and anti virus software
13. use router with NAT

Run File server
With very friendly interface and setup and again free of charge www.serv-u.com. More about file and ftp Serve-U server at http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1491. Ports 21 and 20 should be forwarded on your firewall or router. And with free file server free ftp client from www.smartftp.com ;-).

Run Remote Control
Yes, it is possible to use MSN Messenger and its feature "Ask for remote assistance", but it gives just two resolution options for a remote desktop view and even the lowest one still takes quite a bit of the bandwidth and waiting for responds slows remote operations to a snail pace. Another disadvantage is a necessary presence of a person on the other end of line who has to ask for and confirm a remote assistance.

A little more challenging and more useful is www.realvnc.com. It offers several view resolutions and the lowest ones work even on dial-up connection, one can install either server or viewer as a standalone utility or both on the computer. The server has two modes, Service-mode and User-mode, the first one enables viewer to log without confirming remote computer user your access (But you have to know the remote user RealVNC password, and setting the password on the RealVNC server is a must! Otherwise everybody with just knowing remote computer IP address can access it!) and can be setup to run as background service when computer starts, the second one needs to be started by a person on remote pc, then both work in the same way. Also appropriate port on router needs to be forwarded for RealVNC server to work. There is some flaw in Windows XP user switching, RealVNC just stops responding, it works properly from any user account just when each of them is properly logged on and all others are logged off.

There is a new and very popular remote utility from www.logmein.com . With free SSL encryption and multi-level authentication systems. Thanks to UDP protocol it goes across company's firewalls.Very simple to use, you just need to install plugging for your IE or Mozzila browser for your viewer (client) and little utility (server) on a computer that will be accessed. Free version comes with remote access only. Paid version has secure file transfer and remote diagnostics.

Run VPN on Windows XP Home
Being able to access your files or even all your computers on your home LAN over secured line from any spot on the world with just your laptop and internet connection can be achieved by setting up Virtual Private Network. Almost all information can be found on microsoft web site at www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/expert/vpns.mspx or www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=608. I tried that on my LAN, it worked great, my internet connection became disabled though, but when tried on WAN I couldn't get it worked, my router was forwarded to 1723 as manual said but it refused to connect. There may be a problem with my router setup or port on which Windows VPN server works is unknown to me. Any suggestions are welcome!

Share Files and Printers on LAN
File and Printer sharing for Microsoft Networks in Network Properties needs to be enabled. Each computer is both client and server. First I followed microsoft online manual on setting up File and Printer Sharing using TCP/IP protocol but it worked badly or not at all! Later I was advised to use a different protocol, because TCP/IP is dedicated to the internet connection. nw link ipx/spx/netbios protocol needs to be installed. Network group name has to be set up the same for all computers to be shared on LAN. More details at www.askmarvin.ca/forums/index.php?showtopic=2018 or www.homenethelp.com. Then shared folders are set up on each computer and mapped as new network drives so it can be seen in My Computer, www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking . There is no option of password protected shared folders In Windows XP Home, but it can be set up from DOS command line with net user guest <password>. More on this at http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/windowsxp/a/aa042204.htm.