Auto dialing up and I have no idea why!

[lenny109]

Hi,
I have a computer that keeps dialling its self onto the internet and have no
idea why!

It is windows XP home with a dial up connection. I have another computer
(win 98) linked on a LAN but using the XP machine for the internet access.
(ICS) There are no email accounts set on the 98 machine so I guess that
isn't doing the dialling but when I come in to the office in the morning the
internet connection is on and has been for many hours. This was happening
only on a Friday evening at about 8pm but now is happening a lot more often.

I am really baffled so any thoughts would be great.

I have run Ad-aware through the computer and deleted everything that was
found. I also get a lot of messenger pop-ups when online.

Totally frustrated!
Lenny

 

[bcastner]

1. Check your antivirus software to see if it is not doing the dialing to check for updates. You need, due to the presence of ICS, to check both machines.

2. Other things to check.
I am just going to quote Kelly Theriot here, as she covers the most common things to check:

Check your settings here:

Right click the My computer icon (Desktop), open Manage/Services and Applications/Services. In the right pane scroll down to Remote Access Auto Connection Manager and double click it. Use the Startup type drop box and choose Disabled.

Network Connections/Advanced/Dial-Up Preferences/Enable Auto-Dial by Location/Uncheck all locations and Always ask me before Auto-Dialing.

Also check all programs with a Notification Area icon (system tray) for an option to disable or not start at startup. Most can be unselected here: Start/Run/Msconfig/Startup and/or removed from here: Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Disable Automatic Modem Connections at Startup

If remote connections are enabled in Windows, the system may try to initiate an Internet connection at Windows startup or at the start of many applications. This setting disables that behavior.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole. Value Name: EnableRemoteConnect, Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value), Value Data: "Y" = enable automatic connections, "N" = disabled.

Create a new String value, or modify the existing value, called 'EnableRemoteConnect' and edit the value according to the settings above. Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

Modify the Internet Auto-Dial Settings

Windows has the option to automatically dial your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to establish an Internet connection. This option can be controlled using this tweak.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

Create a new binary value named "EnableAutodial", and set the new value to equal "01 00 00 00" to enable autodial or "00 00 00 00" to disable it.

Note: This restriction can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

To view the list of names and addresses recorded by AutoDial, type the following command at a command prompt: rasautou -s

To delete a name or address entry from the list: Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\RAS Autodial\Addresses

You can delete any TCP/IP addresses that you see under this key. Note that AutoDial can use IP addresses, DNS fully qualified domain names (FQDN), and NetBIOS names.

source:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm

3. Popup removal starts with steps #2-#4 in faq608-4650
You might consider an anti-popup tool. I honestly like the free "Google Toolbar" for this. It just keeps getting better with every version. (You can Google for this).

4. Remember always that the dial-up can be initiated by either the ICS Host machine, or the ICS client machines. You need to check both workstations.

 

[lenny109]

Thanks for that. I was just looking through some old posts and spotted the same stuff so sorry to be replicating.

On another question, when I dial up using the second machine (client) it connects to the internet OK but when I have finished it doesn't go off line. I need to pop over to the server machine and disconect from there. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[linney]

Try disconnecting by exiting your browser.

311074 - Dial-Up Connection in ICS Does Not Prompt to Disconnect on Client

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;311074&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[bcastner]

You should be able to enable the "Internet Gateway" and use this from the client for the disconnect.

See Steve Winograd's notes, particularly in the first Full paragraph of the article, on the role of the Internet Gateway:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

 

[lenny109]

Thanks Bcastner but the client is a 98se computer so I think that I am not able to enable that for the client unless it is an XP
(I might be wrong!)

 

[bcastner]

lenny109,

RDU, and its free:

http://www.twiga.ltd.uk/rdu.asp