[wendy k. walker]

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone out there tell me how to discover what my computers address is? I know that it has to have and address but I have no idea what it is or how to find it.

I am a DSL user and have a Westell modem if that helps. Oh and I'm running Win XP Home with SP2.

Thanks for any information guys.

Wendy

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You mean your IP address?

Go to Start, then click Run.

A box will come up, type cmd and hit enter.

Command line will come up. Type ipconfig and hit enter. Your IP address will show.

[mpfeif101]

You mean your IP address?

Go to Start, then click Run.

A box will come up, type cmd and hit enter.

Command line will come up. Type ipconfig and hit enter. Your IP address will show.

[wendy k. walker]

Hi mpfeif101, Thanks for the prompt reply.

Cool. I knew that there was a way to find it because I had done it once before. This time I wrote the instructions down so that I won't have to ask if I need to find it again.

I think that I figured out which one of those ISPs is mine but what are the other ones for? I mean the DHCP and DNS Server ones and the Default Gateway? What do they do?

Is there anyway to change your ISP?

Thanks,

Wendy

[dsenette]

the IP addresses that you got from the above commands are your LOCAL private IP addresses of your computer

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the method of assigning the IP to your computer....that IP references where you got your IP from

DNS (Domain Naming System) is like a phone book for the internet that maps an IP to a website name (very basic deffinition)...the DNS server is the server that your computer uses to do DNS lookups (your computer asks that server what the "phone number" is for www.geekstogo.com" then that server tells your computer that it's 72.232.217.29)

Default Gateway is the device that your computer uses to connect to the internet...this is usually either your modem or your router (if you've got one)


if you want to know what IP the world sees your computer as...go to www.whatismyip.com

[wendy k. walker]

Hi dsenette, Thanks for the reply.

Thanks for the information. OK, so if someone were to get on my PC and go to what is my ip and got my ip, does that mean that they can they get to my PC with it from another computer?

I'm curious about how all of that works because I've been having instances that lead me to believe that someone is getting into my machine and I can't figure out how they might be doing that.

On another subject, what does it mean when my firewall says that it has blocked local network access to my PC? I don't have a local network setup, all I have is my one PC.


Wendy

[dsenette]

Thanks for the information. OK, so if someone were to get on my PC and go to what is my ip and got my ip, does that mean that they can they get to my PC with it from another computer?

it's possible.....but it would take a little more work than that

I'm curious about how all of that works because I've been having instances that lead me to believe that someone is getting into my machine and I can't figure out how they might be doing that.

such as?

On another subject, what does it mean when my firewall says that it has blocked local network access to my PC? I don't have a local network setup, all I have is my one PC.

are you connected to a wireless enabled router or straight to the modem?

[wendy k. walker]

Hi dsenette, Thanks for the reply.

Things like strange\weird files just appearing on my desktop. And a user account, with no password, that just appeared in my user accounts but wasn't showing up on my login screen.

Things like the password for the [???] master or top level Administrative Account being removed. I'm talking about the Admin account that is only accessible through safe mode... someone removed my password form that account.

And I've had text documents that were saved as .wps just politely change themselves into some kind of file that I can't identify nor open. I also have a few .jpeg files that have done the same thing, I mean been changed into some kind of file format that PhotoImpression can't open nor identify.

I've run Anti-Virus and Malware scans till I'm turning blue in the face and nothing evil is showing up, yet all of that weirdness continues to plague my PC. I have also installed MyPlanetSoftware Anti Key-Logger [v1.5] and have it running 24\7 just in case.

I'm the only one who has physical access to my machine... well that is unless aliens from outer space are creeping through the walls and using it while I'm asleep at night. My login account is password protected, and I use a password protected screen saver just to make sure that nosy people can't get a peek at what I'm doing when my back is turned.

I must be connected straight to the modem because my phone line plugs into the back of it and it plugs into my PC with a USB cable and I don't have any wireless connections that I know of.

Thanks for listening.

Wendy

[Ztruker]

Wendy, I know you've done AV and Spyware scans, but it sure sounds like you've picked up a sever malware infection. I think you should do the following:

First, read through this area, see if you can Cleanup Your System. This takes care of the many of the problems without further action by the Malware Gurus on this site.

If this doesn't do it, post a HijackThis log HERE. Make sure you read the You Must Read This Before Posting A Hijackthis Log article before posting.

Please be patient as the malware removal experts are extremely busy and it can take 1 to 3 days for them to get to you.

[wendy k. walker]

Hi Ztruker, Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I've been running scans till I'm turning blue in the face, I've run all of the suggested cleanup programs several times over, both in standard and safe mode and I've posted HJT logs but nothing seems to do any good .

I may just have to give up and see if I can get hole of a set of XP disks and reinstall the whole OS from scratch.

Thanks

Wendy

[Ztruker]

I looked in the Malware forum and the only log I see from you is back on November and I'm sorry to say it did not receive any attention. I took a quick look at the log and did not see anything serious so I don't think that is the problem.

You said a new account appeared in User Accounts. Did you recently install Microsoft .Net? If so, that creates a new account as part of the install process, called something like ASP .NET or Aspinet (don't remember exactly) and can't find anything definitive via Google.

As for the .wps and .jpg files no longer being viewable, that can happen if the file association for those file types was messed up some how.

Re: Administrator account (Safe mod eonly). Did you specifically add a password to it? If not, default is to not have a password.

[wendy k. walker]

Hi Ztruker, Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I just figured that it didn't have anything interesting looking in it so every body just left it alone.

Yep, I think it was ASP, if I do have that .NET thing how do I get rid of it? I don't want any dammed thing in my machine that goes around creating new admin accounts and leaving them laying around unprotected.

OH Yeah I have a password on mine. I hurried up and stuck a password on that bugger just as fast as I heard a little thief bragging about how they could reboot someones PC and get into like that. I also stuck a couple of passwords in my BIOS thingy too.

That top dog Administrative account in safe mode was the one that the password that got reset to nothing at all on, and that really bugs me.

I mean how the heck can someone do that without having physical access to my machine?

Thanks for your time.

Wendy

[Ztruker]

You can delete the Aspinet account.

If a program (read virus/trojan) runs on your computer under an account that has Administrator authority, then it can do anything it wants to do, limited strictly by the knowledge of the #$%@@! that wrote it. That's why it's recommended that your normal account, the one you use on a daily basis, not be an Administrator.

[wendy k. walker]

Hi Ztruker, Thanks for the reply.

Not to worry, I had deleted that little bugger just as fast as I found it. Can I delete or un-install that .NET thing? If so how do I go about doing it?

Thanks for your time and help.

Wendy

[Ztruker]

You can uninstall .NET but I suspect some software you use requires it and that's how it got there in the first place.

Easy way to find out

[wendy k. walker]

Hi Ztruker, Thanks for the reply.

Rats! Oh well... if I un-install it and something needs it to run wont that program tell me that it needs .NET to run?

Thanks,

Wendy