InBox

By DON McALLISTER

Welcome to InBox, where we attempt to answer your internet questions.

Q. David is the latest reader stung by Telecom after a rogue dialler program sneaked onto his computer and secretly dialled an 0900 number several times - costing David $49 each time. Noticing the charge, he immediately contacted Telecom, which is now aware of the number and will hopefully take action by disconnecting it.

A. Yes, David, it's an old problem that keeps catching people. The first line of defence is to never download anything you are unsure of, much less run it - although new software holes are discovered and abused regularly to facilitate installation of such nasties - known as spyware - without your knowledge. Run Windows Update regularly to patch known holes, plus use free programs such as Spyguard or Spybot S&D to find, remove and monitor intrusions of these parasites.

A word of warning to Jetstream users: you are not immune to rogue dialler dishonesty. A broadband modem can't dial phone numbers, but your old modem can if it's still connected.

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Q. "Can I network my PC to my Mac computer? Both have network cards, so where should one start?" asks Jess.

A. Yes in most cases it can be done, and most large corporations do it every day with no problems. Rather than list the stages in the limited space this column provides (there are a huge number of possible variables), I suggest you take a look at a site that has a section dealing specifically with the Mac/PC hook-up (Home PC Network). Click on "How To" then use the "Connect my" drop down menu to select: "Connect my Mac to my PC"

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Q. After two infection warnings Phil is not happy with his son's surfing habits. "What can I do about the W32.blaster.e.worm and the W32.welchia.worm viruses?"

A. Having received two warnings, doesn't mean you're infected Phil. If your antivirus scanner has found only two source files as they tried to enter; it's likely you are not infected. Symantec has extensive write-ups and a removal tool for each. Search for each virus to fully understand if you need to run the removal tools.


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