Internet Gateway

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Hello, hope someone can help - I have a BT broadband connection via voyager
dsl router, and under my Network Connections I have always had under 'LAN or
high speed internet' the BT voyager remote devide listed as a 'local area
connection', and this was the only connection that was ever enabled.

However, today there has appeared another connection, under Internet
Gateway, titled internet connection, which I have never seen there before,
and I cannot understand why it would just appear today. Both this and the
above connection are enabled at the same time now.

I tried speaking to BT broadband help (three different people) but they
couldnt help, so hoping someone here can help. I am also concerned that this
new connection is something rogue, or allows someone to access my pc or
connection from another pc. I only have one pc used at home for business, ie
no network PCs set up in my home.

I am very non-tech so please if you need any more info just let me know.

many thanks,
md
 
md said:
Hello, hope someone can help - I have a BT broadband connection via voyager
dsl router, and under my Network Connections I have always had under 'LAN or
high speed internet' the BT voyager remote devide listed as a 'local area
connection', and this was the only connection that was ever enabled.

However, today there has appeared another connection, under Internet
Gateway, titled internet connection, which I have never seen there before,
and I cannot understand why it would just appear today. Both this and the
above connection are enabled at the same time now.

I tried speaking to BT broadband help (three different people) but they
couldnt help, so hoping someone here can help. I am also concerned that this
new connection is something rogue, or allows someone to access my pc or
connection from another pc. I only have one pc used at home for business, ie
no network PCs set up in my home.

I am very non-tech so please if you need any more info just let me know.

many thanks,
md
Click to expand...

The Internet Gateway is a normal part of Windows XP. It represents
the device that gives Internet access to your computer. In your case,
that's the BT Voyager DSL router.

Why did it just appear? It could be because of a Windows Update on
the computer, an update to the router's firmware, or a change in
firewall settings on your computer. If your computer has a wireless
network connection, it might have connected to a network belonging to
one of your neighbors.

For more information, click Start > Help and Support, and search for
the topic "Using Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control".
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Many thanks Steve. I checked and last windows update was end of last week
(IE7) so dont think its that as have used PC since. I havent updated the
router software, nor changed firewall settings, so Im stumped as to why.
However I will read the article you have kindly mentioned to see if sheds any
light. My PC was bought 'wireless enabled', but I have (as far as I am aware)
disabled this as I am not happy I could ensure it would be securely set up.
The wireless network connection option in my network connections list is
shown as disabled.

Hmmm perhaps this is something to do with upgrading to IE7, though its
strange it would take a few days to do this, I dont know.

My concern also was someone said to me that the gateway isnt secure and its
best to disable it (something about leaves a 'port insecure'). Sorry if this
is vague, its a bit beyond my PC knowledge which is basic. So I tried to
disable it, but then internet connection is lost, which would make sense
given what you say. Presume I would need to do more to remove its use, but
then again I dont feel I understand well enough to be able to decide whether
to do this.

Ok, I will look at the article you mention and hopefully I can make some
sense of it all,
many thanks again Steve.
 
md said:
Many thanks Steve. I checked and last windows update was end of last week
(IE7) so dont think its that as have used PC since. I havent updated the
router software, nor changed firewall settings, so Im stumped as to why.
However I will read the article you have kindly mentioned to see if sheds any
light. My PC was bought 'wireless enabled', but I have (as far as I am aware)
disabled this as I am not happy I could ensure it would be securely set up.
The wireless network connection option in my network connections list is
shown as disabled.

Hmmm perhaps this is something to do with upgrading to IE7, though its
strange it would take a few days to do this, I dont know.

My concern also was someone said to me that the gateway isnt secure and its
best to disable it (something about leaves a 'port insecure'). Sorry if this
is vague, its a bit beyond my PC knowledge which is basic. So I tried to
disable it, but then internet connection is lost, which would make sense
given what you say. Presume I would need to do more to remove its use, but
then again I dont feel I understand well enough to be able to decide whether
to do this.

Ok, I will look at the article you mention and hopefully I can make some
sense of it all,
many thanks again Steve.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Clicking the Internet Gateway icon lets you monitor
and control the your DSL router's operation. Disabling the Internet
Gateway tells the DSL router to disconnect you from the Internet.

I'm not sure what the concern about 'port insecure' is. Can you say
more about it? I'm not aware of any way that a bad guy on the
Internet can exploit an Internet Gateway.

However, most people have no need for the Internet Gateway. If you
want to remove it, disable "UPnP" support in the router's setup, or go
to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > Windows Setup > Networking
Services, and un-install "Internet Gateway Device Discovery and
Control Client".
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Thanks Steve, Im not sure now what the port thing was, I spoke to various
people at bt one of which mentioned the gateway can make a port insecure, i
think he said it left one open. To be honest I was flummoxed with their
advice, andits pot luck if you get someone who can help there, one even said
the problem was spam ?! and to report it to them on another number which he
gave - now, im not that tech non-savvy ! For curiosity I phoned it tho, the
number was a fax one surprise surprise. Ive had more than one instance where
this has happenned with bt, and another trick is they put you on hold as they
transfer you to someone who can help, and the line goes dead. Seems to be an
easy way of ticking off a successful completed call when they are stumped is
my guess. Anyway, I diverge into a rant ... Ive now cleared the checkbox on
the network services for gateway, and all seems back to normal (well, I then
had a problem with outlook not opening also after that, but managed to find
some online help to start it in safe mode then repair it, which seems to have
got it up and running again).

many thanks,
md
 
This article might help.

http://www.networklab.co.uk/cmodem/winxpics.html

I actually had this "gateway" showing up on some PC's when I was new at XP
networking, and from time to time, I get it when I set up a new connection,
apparently if asked "if the PC will be sharing the internet connection", and
the answer to it is "yes".

I kinda know this because when I started networking, and was green, I got
"little or no connectivity", so I tried setting up connections in all
different ways. So I see many different things popping up. My two networks
are now stable.

Since ths internet is connected at the router level, the answer should be
"no" to ICS. I'm not technical enough to say what consequence would be if I
answered yes, and not used. Redundant?? My guess is it is capable of
internet sharing, but with no other PC's to share with as they all go through
the router.

At the time, I wasn't sure what I was doing, and some PC's got the
"gateway"icon showing up, and others not, depending on how I answered in the
setup. I also noticed in the "status" of the gateway, packet counts are made,
but often, when I click properties, it appears for a second, then goes away,
without staying put.

Currently, I got the "router" icon showing on some PC's and not others. In
fact, I got some "bridges" showing up on some connections, depending on some
questions I answered, since I got wired and wireless on most machines.

I since deleted all the bridges, gateways, and it seems not to affect
overall operations any. I kept the router icon in some machines, though
that's redundant as I can access at http://192.168.1.1

Bottomline seems to be, if your PC's get its internet connections thru the
router, the gateway is redundant.
 
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