Tracking down spurious ICS dial-ups

[MSI]

I have taken over support for a small office network
comprised of four computers. All systems are running
Windows XP Home. Access to the Internet is via dial-up.
I've set up Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), which is
working fine.

My problem is that an unknown process is using ICS to
automatically dial-out. The dial outs happen even when
all systems are idle with no applications open. I have
been unable to identify the process initialing the dial-
outs. I have done the following on all four systems in
an effort to identify the spurious dial-out process:

- Disabled automated Windows Update (Control
Panel>System>Automatic Updates)

- Set Internet access to "Never dial a connection"
(Control Panel>Internet Options>Connections)

Is there any way to determine what process or application
is initiating the dial-out request?

Thanks,

Bruce C.

 

[CheshireCat]

I have taken over support for a small office network
comprised of four computers. All systems are running
Windows XP Home. Access to the Internet is via dial-up.
I've set up Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), which is
working fine.

My problem is that an unknown process is using ICS to
automatically dial-out. The dial outs happen even when
all systems are idle with no applications open. I have
been unable to identify the process initialing the dial-
outs. I have done the following on all four systems in
an effort to identify the spurious dial-out process:

- Disabled automated Windows Update (Control
Panel>System>Automatic Updates)

- Set Internet access to "Never dial a connection"
(Control Panel>Internet Options>Connections)

Is there any way to determine what process or application
is initiating the dial-out request?

Thanks,

Bruce C.

It's probably totally different with XP but there used to be dialup problems
if printer sharing was enabled with TCP.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----



It's probably totally different with XP but there used to be dialup problems
if printer sharing was enabled with TCP.

I'm using TCP/IP, ICS, and printer sharing in several
locations without any problems. I'm sure some obscure
application on one of the PC's is initiating the dial-out
request. The problem lies in identifying the application.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----

I'm using TCP/IP, ICS, and printer sharing in several
locations without any problems. I'm sure some obscure
application on one of the PC's is initiating the dial- out
request. The problem lies in identifying the application.


.

I resolved the ICS dial-out problem. Here's what I did:

With all four systems having been virus scanned (Norton),
ad-ware scanned (Adaware), and spy-ware scanned (Spybot,
Search & Destroy), I had a clean network. However, the
pesky dial-out request were still coming fast and
furious. I traced the final problem to the "Establish a
dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network
attempts to access the Internet" check box on the
Advanced tab of the Properties window for the Network
Connection definition. Unchecking this box stopped the
automated dial-out requests.

It appears with this option checked, any network traffic
on the local LAN was generating an ICS dial-out request.
Since all of the systems are set to automatically search
for network drives and printers and also run the file
indexing service, there is a constant background of
network traffic.

Can anyone comment on local network traffic generating
dial-out requests?

 

[Alexander]

I resolved the ICS dial-out problem. Here's what I did:

With all four systems having been virus scanned (Norton),
ad-ware scanned (Adaware), and spy-ware scanned (Spybot,
Search & Destroy), I had a clean network. However, the
pesky dial-out request were still coming fast and
furious. I traced the final problem to the "Establish a
dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network
attempts to access the Internet" check box on the
Advanced tab of the Properties window for the Network
Connection definition. Unchecking this box stopped the
automated dial-out requests.

It appears with this option checked, any network traffic
on the local LAN was generating an ICS dial-out request.
Since all of the systems are set to automatically search
for network drives and printers and also run the file
indexing service, there is a constant background of
network traffic.

Can anyone comment on local network traffic generating
dial-out requests?

I don't know for sure but just guesing that if any machine on the
network is trying to reach ip that is not your network, because of
this checked box to dial on demand, the modem dials out. I was just
thinking that this feature is not very good if you cannot control on
what kind of request from own network computers to dial out, although
I use it. But there are a lot of requests all the time on the network
so it's hard to identify what is the reason for sure. If you want to
try use a kind of firewall that gives you complete information about
the trafiic from and to you. Take care.

Alex

 

[zzdude]

I'm using TCP/IP, ICS, and printer sharing in several
locations without any problems. I'm sure some obscure
application on one of the PC's is initiating the dial-out
request. The problem lies in identifying the application.

We're all adults here, right?
After a night of drinking, I visited some sites I shouldn't have, and
for days afterwards, I noticed the internet connection coming alive
at odd times and for the life of me, I couldn''t track it down.
Then, a friend told me about Spybot-Search and Destroy...shareware
available at
//security.kolla.de/

I will shout it from the rooftops; THIS APP RAWKS!
I couldn't believe how many dialers and hijackers and trojans and
trackers and stuff I'd never heard of...had embedded themselves into
my brand new machine.
Give it a try; it works in the background, automatically deletes them,
after cleaning the system....and I'm a happy camper!
Let me know how it goes, if you decide to give it a try.
(Oh, and just because I was weak, I wasn't suggesting you or your
co-workers did as I....just trying to personalize the recommendation

zed