Troubleshoot your LAN

What to Do When Network PCs Don't See Eye to Eye

Steps for debugging a small home network.

Lincoln Spector

I have attached my two computers to my cable modem through a router. Both PCs access the Internet just fine, but neither sees the other one. What can I do to fix this situation?

Bruce Wise, Elmhurst, Illinois

Few chores are as frustrating as debugging a small network. The last time I did it, I cursed colorfully enough to embarrass Quentin Tarantino. The one thing we can be certain of is that there's no problem with your hardware--the successful Internet access tells us that.

The first step is to verify each system's network-configuration and file- and printer-sharing options. We'll also make sure that both of the computers are using the TCP/IP protocol, and that they are in the same workgroup but listed under different names. Here are the instructions for various versions of Windows.

Windows 98 and Me: Right-click Network Neighborhood (in 98) or My Network Places (in Me) and select Properties. On the Configuration tab, verify that the Primary Network Logon drop-down menu is set to Client for Microsoft Networks. Click File and Print Sharing and make sure both of these options are checked. Scroll down the list of network components to see what protocols are installed, and make sure you've got a TCP/IP entry for your network card. Then look under the Identification tab to ensure that the computer's name is unique while the workgroup name is the same on both networked systems.

Windows 2000 and XP: Choose Start, Settings, Network and Dial-up Connections (in 2000) or right-click My Network Places and select Properties (in XP). Right-click Local Area Connection and choose Properties. Make sure 'Client for Microsoft Networks' is the first listing under 'Components checked are used for this connection' (in 2000) or 'This connection uses the following items' (in XP). If it isn't there, choose Install, Client, Client for Microsoft Networks. The second item in this list should be 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks'. If it isn't there, select Install, Service, Add, File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

Now scroll down the window to verify that you have a TCP/IP entry for your network adapter (see FIGURE 1). To check your workgroup and computer names, return to the network properties window and select Advanced, Network Identification. Make sure each computer's 'Full computer name' is unique. If you have to change either name, click Properties (in 2000) or Change (in XP) and enter a new name in the highlighted text box.

All versions: Each computer on your network also has to have a different IP address. To view the system's IP address in Windows 98 and Me, select Start, Run, type winipcfg, and press Enter; in the resulting dialog box, select your network card from the drop-down menu. In Windows 2000 and XP, click Start, Run, type cmd /k ipconfig, and press Enter. If two machines on the network have the same IP address, your router has a problem. Check its documentation for instructions on resolving the conflict.

Make sure at least one folder or printer on each system is set for sharing. To do so, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder or printer you want to share. If the folder or printer icon doesn't have a little hand under it, right-click the icon and select Sharing and Security (in XP) or Sharing (in 2000). In the resulting dialog box, click Share This Folder and check other options as appropriate.

Finally, it's possible that your router's built-in firewall is interfering with your network's settings. Check your router's documentation for instructions on troubleshooting firewall conflicts.

Protect your Computer

I found this article http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=44525 in "Major Geeks" website - it's very good and I agreee with all points. In fact it's almost exactly what I do to protect my own computer. Note that the article assumes you are not using one of the commercial security packages like Nortons or McAfee.


How to Protect yourself from malware!

---

Make sure you get your system protected from ocurrences of malware problems. Below are some simple steps you can take to reduce the chance of infection in the future. I strongly encourage you to do them all. There is no perfect solution for totally preventing malware from getting on your PC, however, these steps will help.

1. Visit Windows Update: Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for your operating system and IE. The first defense against infection is a properly patched OS. For anyone who is not yet running Windows XP SP2 (which you really should be running if your PC supports it) see the below link before updating:

• Get Your PC Ready for Windows XP SP2

You should check for Windows Updates at least once a month. Go to the below link to get your updates or check to see if you need any:

• Windows Update

Note: If you have problems getting your Windows Updates, see if the below thread helps:

• Help with Windows Update

2) Anti Virus: make sure you have one and keep it updated. Here are some good free ones:

• Avast! Home Edition

• AVG Free Edition

• AntiVir Personal Edition - for Win NT/2K/XP/2003
• AntiVir Personal Edition 7 for Win9x/ME
• PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition - forWin 2K/03/XP/Vista

These are better than Symantec/Norton or McAfee because they are free and because they are not so system resource hungry. The recent versions of Symantec/Norton and McAfee have become very bloated. This does not mean they do not work. If you have either of them and are happy with it, stick with them. But whatever you choose remember to Only Run ONE AV!


3) Firewalls

A firewall is software or hardware that acts like a gate to help protect your computer against hackers and some computer viruses and worms that try to find unprotected computers that are connected to the Internet. This gate allows you to you to accept connections from sources you trust, and it keeps the gate closed for ones you don't trust. A firewall works by examining information coming from and going to the Internet. It identifies and blocks information that comes from a dangerous location or seems suspicious. If you set up your firewall properly, hackers searching for vulnerable computers cannot detect your computer (often referred to as a stealthed connection).


There are two kinds of firewalls:

1. Hardware Firewall - normally built into a router if you use one. If you do have a router with a firewall, make sure you enable it. And also password protect your router, especially if it is a wireless router. Wireless routers can be less secure because they use radio frequencies to communicate with your PC. So if you use a wireless router, you can help enhance the security of your network by enabling the firewall and by requiring a password to connect to your network. Make sure you also enable encryption on your wireless network.
2. Software Firewall - special software that you must install. Use a software firewall even if you do have a hardware firewall. But only use one software firewall. Running multiple software firewalls is unnecessary and using more than one software firewall on the same connection could cause issues with connectivity to the Internet or other unexpected behavior.

If you don't have a Software Firewall, get one of these below. The first four are free versions. I don't care if you're on dial up or High Speed....you must have a firewall or you can get infected faster than you can download any tools to fix your problems.

• ZoneAlarmFree - no longer supports Win9x or Me platforms

• Outpost Firewall Free

• Sygate Personal Firewall Free<--- with the Symantec acquistion of Sygate, I do not know how much longer this will be around or be free!
• Filseclab Personal Firewall Professional Edition
• Kerio Personal Firewall

Note: For Win XP SP2 users, after installing any of these firewalls, you must make sure to disable the firewall that is part of WinXP SP2. It is enabled by default, and it does not provide adequate protection and is only an incoming (uni-directional) firewall. Similar to antivirus applications, you must use only one software firewall. The information in the following will help you disable the firewall: Windows Firewall Some of the above firewalls may automatically disable the Windows firewall for you, but it is best to check for your self.

For additonal info about the problems with Windows XP SP2 firewall read these:

• How Secure is Windows Firewall
• Is Microsoft's Firewall Secure?
• Windows Firewall Flaw may hide open ports

4) Get a Temp File/Cookies/index.dat cleaner

• CCleaner (Crap Cleaner)

5) SpyWare Scanners/Removers and Prevention (Some are even free)

• Ad-Aware SE Personal
• Ad-Aware VX2 Cleaner Plug-In
• Ewido security suite - 15 day trial (only supports Win 2K/XP)
• Microsoft Windows Defender - (only supports Win 2K/XP/2003)
• SpyBot-Search & Destroy (Use the Immunize feature. I don't activate the TeaTimer)
• SpyWare Blaster Install it, click Download Latest Protection Updates, Check for Updates, and then Enable All Protection, then exit. It does a great job of blocking known vulnerabilities as well as known malicious websites.
• SpyWare Guard
• Spy Sweeper - Will no longer fix anything without purchasing
• CounterSpy - 15 day trial!

NOTE:
I do not recommend using multiple full blown blocker/scanner/removal tools (like Ewido, MS Antispyware, SpySweeper, and CounterSpy) at the same time as a long term solution. Doing that temporarily to clean a system is okay, but long term you may find that it slows your system down too much. It is okay to run one of these, along with the other items listed above because the others are not too resource hungry (that is, as long as you do not use Spybot's Teatimer).


NOTE: There are loads of bad (also called rogue) anti-spyware programs available out there. You should familiarize yourself with the list maintained at the Spyware Warrior website. See: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites


6) Adjust Active X security settings

• In Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options, Security. Click on the Internet globe. Then select Default Level, then click OK. Now select Custom Level and scroll down to the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section (some may already be set correctly):
  • Set 'Download signed Active X controls' to Prompt
  • Set 'Download unsigned Active X controls' to Disable
  • Set 'Initialize and Script ActiveX controls not marked as safe' to Disable
  • Set the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
  • Set the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
  • Set the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
  • Click OK and OK again.

7) Use Mozilla FireFox in place of Internet Explorer.


8) Uninstall Microsoft Java and Replace with Sun Java

You may already have Sun Java if on a newer OS. Just get the current version of Sun Java installed. The link to it is given below.

Microsoft no longer supports Java and it is often a source of installed spyware and hijacks so it is a good idea to remove Microsoft Java Virtual Machine and Install Sun Java. To remove it follow these steps.

• Select Start > Run and Enter "RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection java.inf,UnInstall" in the Open box, and click ok.
• Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the Microsoft VM
• When prompted, reboot the computer
• Remove the following items: (Systemroot is where windows is installed (usually C:\Windows)
  • The \%Systemroot%\Java folder
  • The file java.PNF from the \%Systemroot%\inf folder
  • The files jview.exe and wjview.exe from the \%Systemroot%\system32 folder
  • The registry subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Java VM
  • The registry subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ InternetExplorer \ AdvancedOptions \ JAVA_VM

• As an alternative to the above steps you can try the below tool to remove MS Java. Download and run theMSJVM Removal Tool 1.0a

• Now install Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from here: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp When you install this latest version of Sun Java, be sure to uncheck the options to install the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Google Desktop (that is unless you want this additional baggage). Be sure to use the option to Test your Java Virtual Machine (JVM) when you finish. It will only take about a minute and it verifies your installation is good.

Make sure you check that you have the lastest version of Sun Java installed by clicking the link. If you have an older version, install the new version and then remove all old versions. It would also be a good idea empty the Sun Java cache periodically because many baddies will store themselves there.

You can choose a different language if you need it from the top menu on that page. (Any files or registry entries not found or errors can be ignored and go to the next step)


9) Use Passwords & Create Restricted User Accounts

All user accounts should have password protection. Especially on Win NT, 2K, XP, and 2003 systems. Make sure you do not leave the Administrator password account password blank. This is the default. Also it is a good idea to completely disable the Guest account. When you choose your passwords, choose them wisely. Do not make them too short and do not choose anything that would be easy to guess.

When creating user accounts on WinNT, 2K, XP, and 2003 systems, it would be a good idea to only have one account with administrator priviledges. Create all other user accounts as restricted users. Especially for your children. This will prevent them from installing anything that you do not approve and install for them. It will also save you a lot of time cleaning up the mess that will occur when they have unrestricted access to the PC.


10) Security starts with you! Becareful what you download and from where!

• There are loads of free programs and services out there that people just love to download from. These are programs like Kazaa, Imesh, etc. They quite often come bundled with lots of malware that will cause you significant problems. I suggest avoiding these programs and servers completely. But if you must use them, choose more wisely. See the below link which can help you make a more educated choice:

Spyware Info's Clean and Infected File Sharing Programs

• Avoid installing services and applications which you do not use in your normal daily routines. It is not necessary for them to be loaded all the time. The above P2P programs are a great example of this. Many programs that autoload at startup can just be run on an as needed basis.
• Also it should go without saying but....avoid the porn sites! They are notorious spreaders of more than one kind of smut.
• Also be very careful to read popups before clicking on them. You probably do not want what they are selling and sometimes the correct answer may be the opposite of what you think. They will choose wording meant to confuse you.
• Do not open e-mails coming from unknown or distrusted sources. Many viruses and trojans spread via e-mail messages. You can always check with the originator to see if they sent something to you.
• Especially be careful with attachments. Do not open the attachments of messages with a suspicious or unexpected subject. If you want to open them, first save them to your hard disk and scan them with an updated antivirus program.
• Delete any chain e-mails or unwanted messages. Do not forward them or reply to their senders. This kind of messages is considered spam, because it is undesired and unsolicited and it congests the Internet even more than it already is. If you respond to their email where it says something like "to be removed from our list", all you are doing is confirming your email address is valid and you just got yourself added to a load more spamming lists.
• Never add any site to your Trusted Sites Zone unless it is absolutely necessary to run something you really need (like for work).
• Finally, when installing any software, read the license agreement carefully before accepting. You may be surprised what you will find. Like thousands of people who had to have LOP infections and other malware removed from their PCs who did not read the license agreement in Messenger Plus (which is not related to Microsoft).

11) The True Story About Cookies!

First let's get right to the point. Cookies are not problems that you need to be concerned with. Too many antispyware programs flag cookies and make them sound like they are high risk items. The truth is that they are not high risk problems and in most cases are actually very useful to you.

This subject has long been debated on the internet and obviously there are many opinions about cookies. Cookies are not executable programs. They are simple text files stored on your PC to help websites (and you) track useful user settings and non-personal information, like which advertisement you last saw (which prevents you from seeing the same ad over and over again).

Yes some cookies are often referred to tracking cookies, but tracking is more complicated then just having a cookie. Every website you visit would have to have knowledge of the particular cookie so that they could use it to add tracking info to it and to make use of it. You will see many antispyware programs indicating various cookies as tracking cookies and this can artifically make detection counts look very high. It is also a sore point when doing comparisons between antispyware programs. If one program detects cookies and another does not, it can make the one that does not detect them look like it is doing a bad job.

Similarly it makes the one detecting them look like a great product since it picks up things the other missed. Thus most (not all) programs will detect cookies to avoid this hazard. Don't be fooled by cookie counting. If cookies are the only thing showing up, you are in good shape. They are not harmful and you can just ignore them or if so desired, you can easily clean them using your browser or other tools like CCleaner (Crap Cleaner).

12) What to do if you do get infected!

• If you still get an infection or already have one, you should follow the procedure given here READ & RUN ME FIRST Before Asking for Support . If this does not fix your malware problems then follow the instructions in the READ & RUN ME and create a new thread in the Malware Forum requesting help. Be sure to attach all of the logs requested in the READ & RUN ME and clearly explain your remaining problems. Also make sure you install and rename HijackThis as requested before adding your HijackThis log to the list of requested attachments.

New Version of Skype available - Skype 3

http://www.skype.com/

Skype's latest release, Skype 3 for Windows, doesn't break any new ground
in the low-cost, online voice communication arena.


What it does is add some enhancements to Skype's already strong
communications package, such as incorporating Skypecasts directly into the
Skype dashboard and offering additional ways for Skype users to interact
while talking. You still get great-sounding free calls between Skype users
in addition to video calls, conference calls and IM chats. Skype remains
our favourite alternative to a full-fledged voice over IP phone plan.


Downloading and installing Skype is still a simple task. Just point your
browser to the download link at Skype's site and click through the process.
If you're already using a previous version of Skype, you don't need to
uninstall it; the Skype 3 installation process will take care of that for
you.


Skype 3's dashboard is relatively unchanged from the previous version. The
major difference is the addition of a "Live" tab, where you'll find a list
of ongoing or impending Skypecasts. At its core, a Skypecast is like a very
big conference call: one user sets up the Skypecast, designates the topic
-- ranging from "Evolution versus Intelligent Design" and "Nigerian
Politics" to bored souls who simply want to chat -- and call time, and
serves as the host. The host has the power to select who speaks and can
even eject users from the discussion. Other users can simply click to join
the conversation. If none of the Skypecasts listed on the tab intrigues
you, a link at the bottom takes you to the Skypecast Web page, where you
can peruse future Skypecasts.



The Do More extras include a radio, animated avatars, games, a whiteboard,
and a call recorder.


The other major addition to this version is Skype Extras. Under the Tools >
Do More menu, you'll find nine preloaded features that let callers interact
with others in new ways. Each extra will require you to download a small
program. You can play Chinese checkers or backgammon with your buddy, or
share a virtual whiteboard, on which you both write, sketch, or erase -- a
great tool for brainstorming. There's also a customisable radio feature
from Last.fm: type in an artist you like and Last.fm will pull up a
"station" that plays your artist and other similar artists, much the same
as Pandora.com. You can even display what you're listening to in the "mood"
bubble on the Skype dashboard. If you want to do things such as recommend a
track to a friend or tell Last.fm to never play the track again, you'll
have to register on Last.fm's Web site. If a call comes in, or if you place
a Skype call, while you're listening to the Last.fm radio, the song will
automatically fade until you hang up on the call.


Another interesting feature is the call recorder from a company called
Pamela. Using it, you can record your conversations up to 15 minutes at a
time. You can set it up to record every incoming and outgoing call
automatically or have it ask you each time whether you want to record.
Before Pamela starts recording, a voice states to everyone on the call that
it's being recorded. This is not a feature you can turn off because, in
many countries, it's illegal to record a conversation with another person
without that person's consent.

With a bunch of the extras open for use, your desktop can get cluttered
very quickly. We'd prefer a single tabbed window that corrals all of the
extras.


In the realm of more fun -- but less useful -- features are the animated
avatars and "lie detector" utility. If you're set up for video Skype calls,
you can use the Crazy Talk extra to create personalised animated avatars.
Webcam companies, including Creative, already incorporate this feature in
many of their webcams. The lie detector feature, made by a company called
KishKish, purports to measure stress in the voice of the person you're
talking to, with the assumption that the more stressed the person sounds,
the more likely he or she is lying to you. We did an ad hoc test of this
feature and it told us that the person talking to us was lying when he was
actually just very excited and animated. Of course, this is for
entertainment value only. While we found the extra features amusing, and
even useful, we didn't like the way each application opened in its own
window. Before long, we found our desktop cluttered with Skype's peripheral
windows. In future versions, we'd like to see all of the features
incorporated into a single window with tabs, which would keep the desktop
much neater and the features much easier to find.

As for performance, we found no major changes to Skype's voice quality. You
can read about our experiences with making Skype-to-Skype, SkypeIn, and
SkypeOut calls in our review of Skype 2.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/internet/soa/Skype_2_beta_/0,139023437,139231149,00.htm





article:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/internet/soa/Skype_3/0,139023437,339272791,00.htm

Update your Adobe software - yes you have it!

Hi folks.
There is a serious security issue with older versions of Adobe Reader
software.
This is the program you use to view .pdf files. You probably have it even
if you weren't aware of it.
I recommend you download the latest version of adobe reader (version 8) to
avoid any problems

Download from here >> http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

It's a fairly large download - about 21 MB

See below for more details on the security issue

Adobe Patches Reader Vulnerability

This is a first step toward fixing what security experts are calling one of
the worst security problems they've ever seen.
Ellen Messmer, Network World
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:00 AM PST

Adobe late Tuesday released the first set of security patches to address
the cross-site scripting vulnerability disclosed by European researchers
late last year. The flaw allows Acrobat Reader 7.0.8 and earlier versions
to be exploited by hackers.
Left unpatched, the vulnerable versions of Adobe's Reader, Acrobat
Standard, Acrobat Professional, and Acrobat 3D let an attacker easily
include JavaScript code in a browser session so that when a user clicks on
a malicious link to a PDF on the Web, the attack code is activated. There
is no vulnerability associated with PDF itself.

Update Now!
The latest version of Acrobat, version 8, released in December, isn't
vulnerable to the cross-site scripting attack. But because researchers
Stefano Di Paola and Giorgio Fedon drew attention to the flaw when they
presented a paper at a Berlin conference in late December, Adobe has been
working to address the problem.
"Adobe strongly urges Adobe Reader users to update to the latest version,
Reader 8. Adobe Reader 7 users who wish to stay with their current version
can follow the instructions outlined in the bulletin," Adobe advised in a
post last night. Adobe also issued recommendations for a server-side
workaround for Web site operators.

Worst Security Problem Ever
Adobe labels the cross-site scripting flaw critical, and many security
experts say it's one of the worst security problems they've ever seen given
that Adobe Reader is so widely used for viewing PDF files.
"It's the prevalence of it," notes Amol Sarwate, manager of vulnerability
research at security services firm Qualys. "There's an Adobe Reader
installed on almost every desktop."
"This is so very dangerous because it exploits a random PDF on the Web,"
says Billy Hoffman, a leading researcher at vulnerability-assessment firm
SPI Dynamics. "I send someone, the victim, a link to a legitimate Web site.
The vulnerability allows you to put JavaScript in it, executing in the
client's browser. Then, I can simulate the victim at that time. You're
piggybacking perfectly legitimate commands on top of a PDF."
"This is the biggest issue in security I've ever seen," says Danny Allan,
director of strategic research at Web application security firm Watchfire.
"It's extremely easy for someone to do this. There's nothing difficult
here."

More Patches Coming Soon
Spam-filtering appliance vendor Barracuda says it has updated its equipment
to filter out spam with a URL link containing JavaScript for a PDF.
"There's no reason a URL to a PDF file should contain a JavaScript for a
PDF," says Steve Pao, vice president of product development at Barracuda.
An Adobe spokesperson says Adobe expects to soon post additional security
patches for the cross-site scripting vulnerability for Adobe Reader 6
users.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128488-c,browsersecurity/article.html

Restore classic menu view for new Internet Explorer 7

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) looks quite different to older versions
with the default settings.
To restore it to a more traditional appearance...

The Internet Explorer 7 toolbar.

Simply right-click anywhere on your Internet Explorer toolbar and the toolbar menu appears. The checked toolbars are currently displayed. To add a toolbar to the display, select the name of the toolbar. To remove a toolbar from the display, just reverse the procedure.

Traditionalists, please note that Microsoft understands that you might like your standard toolbar the way it used to be. To return it to its pre-Internet Explorer 7 form, select Classic Menu, and the classic menu appears, looking something like the picture below.

The Classic Menu.

more...
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/ie7_toolbar.mspx

Internet Connection Speed

Here's a few web sites that help you to test your connection speed.

http://www.ozspeedtest.com/

http://www.zdnet.com.au/broadband/speedtest.htm

http://us.mcafee.com/root/speedometer/

Web Browser wars - Firefox 2 vs Internet Explorer 7

Both Internet Explorer & Firefox have released major updates to their web
browsers.
I recommend you download both but do the majority of your web browsing with
Firefox.
Actually, they should both download automatically - Internet Explorer if
you have auto updates turned on
and Firefox automatically updates itself if you choose
(Software update is configured via "Tools -> Options -> Advanced ->
Update")

-pete.

Here's an excerpt from PC World
Which one should you use? For satisfied Firefox 1.5 users, moving to
version 2 is a no-brainer, as they'll get new features and won't be thrown
off by major interface changes. Confirmed IE users have a similarly easy
choice: IE 7's features make it a much better browser than 6.x, and its
security enhancements alone make it a must-have.

Of the two rivals, Firefox remains the better application. Since IE users
will have to adjust to a new layout and interface anyway, this might be a
good time to give Firefox a try, then watch IE 8 play catch-up again in
five years.

full review: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127309-page,1/article.html

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Safer Web Surfing - part 2

A new version of the Firefox web browser is about to be
released - version 2.0. (tomorrow actually)
It looks like it will have security similar to that
provided by the Mcafee SiteAdvisor add-on that I mentioned
in the previous post.
So if you update Firefox to version 2.0, you shouldn't
have to worry about using SiteAdvisor as well.

Safer Web Surfing - McAfee SiteAdvisor

Mcafee have a free web browser add-on that alerts you if a
web site is associated with spam or spyware.
There is a Firefox version & a Internet Explorer (IE) version.
http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/

Security Add-On for Firefox
Our Rating: (Excellent)
McAfee SiteAdvisor is a security add-on for your Firefox browser that
helps you identify websites that are linked to spyware, adware, spam,
viruses, browser-based attacks, phishing, or online fraud.
The SiteAdvisor service is based on a huge database with detailed test
results for more than 100,000 pieces of software and covers more than 90%
of the world`s Web traffic.
The program integrates with search engine results from popular search
engines and also adds an icon to the browser toolbar that indicates
whether a site is safe to use, or should be used with caution.
If SiteAdvisor has negative information for a site, you can review a
very detailed report that shows any spam received from that site,
harmful downloads, and association with other sites.
An excellent browser add-on, that provides an in-depth site analysis
that is based on actual test results,
rather than assumptions.

You can download it from here >>
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/siteadvisorfx.html
The link above is for FireFox browser (which I recommend using)
There is also a version if you use Internet Explorer browser >>
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/siteadvisor.html