robber - built it myself about a year ago. Always been at home. Had it on a home network with one other machine which is now defunct. I'm wondering if I set something up about file sharing or whatever which has allowed someone in? Really concerned now. I need to sort this out.

Robb, you seem to be on a network without knowing it. Open a DOS window and type

NET VIEW

and then

PING PETERHARRIS

and report back!

Have you bought a router second-hand or something similar?

It says the folders were created on 11 Sept. How can I find where the f***er got in. I obviously have a hole somewhere that needs plugging.

Robb,

Sorry just edited one of the words in your last post - it may have caused offence to others.

REgards

Ian

Kayak

It identifies a machine and gives me a reply with 4 packets sent, received 4 lost 0 round trip average 10ms. What other info do you need?

The IP address please Robb, and any other machines in NET VIEW?

Kayak - for netview it comes up with one machine \\ROBOFFICE1 which is how I set up this machine for my network. PETERHARRIS is identified as 172.16.172.110
No other IP addresses are shown.

IanT - no probs, sorry just initial anger spilling over.

It seems like someone has set up a VPN (virtual private network) with you.

"172.16.172.110 is an IP address reserved for non-routed networks. That means it may be used on any number of private networks and doesn't connect to the internet at large (except, maybe, via application level gateways or NATs). See RFC 1918 Address Allocation for Private Internets."

What is remaining of your network configuration? Do you still have the network card? Do you still have a router or similar? What is connected to what? Was any of it second hand?

Now type IPCONFIG and again note down the IP addresses.

Also type TRACERT PETERHARRIS and copy the results here. You can highlight using the mouse, but don't right click, instead press Return and then paste here as normal.

I set up a basic PCWorld network kit. 5 port switch with cards for the two machines. everything was new. Everything is still connected through this machine but the other machine is off. This m/c was set up as the master connection.

the info from ipconfig

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.172.114
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.172.1

C:\Documents and Settings\Rob.ROBOFFICE1>TRACERT PETERHARRIS

Tracing route to PETERHARRIS [172.16.172.110]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 21 ms 23 ms 13 ms PETERHARRIS [172.16.172.110]

Trace complete.

No problem Robb

Thanks

Ian

lol

Well, you omitted to say that you had bought a wireless network. You are networking with someone else in the neighbourhood who has bought similar equipment which is receiving your signals and assuming you are meant to be part of the network. You could print a document to his printer asking him to give you a ring, and after that just disconnect the broadcasting part of the adapter or remove the network card from the computer. If you ever turn it on again, read the section in the manual about security :-)

Kayak

I don't have a wireless network. Its a basic kit from PCWorld with wires to plug in???

Not sure I understand.

I think you do have one... "Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection"!!

I think you will find either that you have a card in your computer that you didn't know about, or that the network card you know about connects to a box which is actually a wireless device as well as having wired connections.

From the information you copied above, the connection is definitely being formed on a local network and not via your internet connection, so you are not being hacked as such. In any case a hacker would not expose his filing system and printer to you as that would give him away a teensy bit!

Robb, what make and model is your hub/switch/router?

BTW before disconnecting anything, type TRACERT 172.16.172.1 in your DOS box and copy the machine name that comes out. That is the master machine in the network. You and PETERHARRIS are both members of that network.

I had wireless broadband installed last week. It works via a kind of small tv aerial and the system was set up by an enterprising local computer shop(who are reputable) for the surrounding local villages that won't get BT broadband for years. There are definitely one or two on my small estate that have sprouted similar aerials in the last week or two. Could it be that?

It could be :-)