Review of Glasswire Network Monitoring Tool and Firewall

When writing about Wireshark network analyzer, I mentioned that it was among the best free network monitoring tool available for administrators to check the details of every device connected to the network. However, the interface of Wireshark is too complex for an average user and as the amount of data is high, it might often confuse such users. Glasswire, on the other hand, is a simple tool for network monitoring with a firewall built in for allowing/denying Internet access to apps. Read on this review of Glasswire to know more about another free network monitoring tool (free) and firewall.

Glasswire Network Security Monitor

The installation of Glasswire is clean and there is no fear of third party programs being installed. After installation, you can choose to run Glasswire before you click Finish or you can run it later using the desktop icon, Start Menu entry or if you opted to pin it to the Taskbar, you can start the program from there.

When the application is loaded, you get a window that provides you with basic information on how much data is being downloaded and uploaded along with some other options in form of icons, window tabs and a menu tab. The main focus of the main window is a graph that shows you data downloaded/uploaded vs time lapse. That is, the X axis of the graph is time as it passes by and the Y axis is the amount of data being uploaded and downloaded. Here is how the main window looks like.



The main window has a menu tab on the top-left corner that has options such as snooze, settings, Incognito etc. A system tray icon is also placed in the notification bar after successful installation of Glasswire. Right clicking the system tray icon also gives you the same set of options as clicking the menu tab on Glasswire window.

Another feature of the notification tray icon is that it provides you with information as and when a new app tries to connect to the Internet or when changes are made to the HOSTS file. The Snooze option mentioned above turns of the system tray notifications for a while.

The main interface has four window tabs: (1) For checking out the real time uploads and downloads, (2) Firewall, (3) Log and (4) Alerts. Each tab has its own options so that you can filter down the data to specific apps and protocols. The protocols option is labeled Traffic.

The Interface is simple and self-explanatory. If you still face problems understanding the interface, you can always access the Help option from the top-left menu bar.

Glasswire – The Graph Window

This is the main window that opens by default whenever you run the program. You can also set the program to run minimized upon boot using the Settings option in the top-left menu tab or by right clicking the system tray icon. In the latter case where you start program on boot, right click on the notification tray to see the window.

The default mode of data travel (Y) vs time (X) graph is set to all apps. The default view won’t show you protocols as in Wireshark. Clicking anywhere on the graph in Glasswire shows how many apps were using the network at the given time, in the bar just below the graph. It would be like app1 + 2more, followed by server IP addresses the apps are connected to. Clicking on items like 1more will show you more items that are using the network. Likewise, clicking on the IP address may bring up a drop down list showing what all server IP addresses are in use by the network.

 

Other than the default mode, there is an Apps Mode and a Traffic (protocols) Mode. When you select Apps view, the window is divided into two columns. The left column lists apps in use and the right column shows you data relevant to the app you highlight by clicking on it. Similarly, the Traffic view/mode will show you a list of protocols and when you click on a protocol, the right column of the window will show you amount of uploaded data and downloaded data plus IP addresses related to that protocol. Just click on any point of the graph in the right side and you will know which apps are using the protocol and what IP addresses are being used by them. The icons of apps make it further clear that which app is using which IP.

Glasswire – Firewall View

You may need admin privileges to make changes here. You can block any app from accessing the Internet. You can view what all apps are using Internet, the upload and download speeds as well as the server IP addresses they are using. Wherever possible, the server IP addresses are presented in URL format so that you can identify the servers. In some cases, they will be numbers that you can copy to browser and see where they lead.

Alerts and Usage View in Glasswire

Alerts are the notifications that pop up in the system tray from time to time. If you have been away from your computer for a while, you can see the alerts/notifications in the Alerts view/tab. You can click on Mark as Read after reading the notifications on the Alerts tab. A number is displayed both in the system tray and the Alert tab to let you know how many notifications you have not viewed. When you click on Mark All As Read, the number is cleared. Basically, these alerts are about apps accessing the Internet for first time as well as changes made to the HOSTS files on your computer.



The Usage view is a big congested as it shows almost all data pertaining to all the apps that are using your network. It shows graphical representations in the left column: total data travelling, data going out and data downloading etc. The right column shows you apps, the protocols they are using and hosts IP addresses they are using.

Glasswire Review – Conclusion

Though Glasswire does not delve deep into the network, it provides ample data to monitor your network and apps using the network. The software is easy to understand and the documentation completes whatever is left “not understood”. Both advance users and novices can use it without much problems. However, if have a big network and you want details of all devices at same place, Glasswire might not satisfy your needs. In that case, I recommend programs like WireShark Network Analyzer.

I wind up my review of Glasswire network monitoring tool and firewall here. Everyone has his/her favorite network monitoring tools if they are into monitoring. Please share yours in the comments section below. You can download Glasswire here.



Source fromhttp://www.thewindowsclub.com

3:59:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Manage and view saved passwords in Chrome browser

In this post, we will see how to manage and view saved passwords in Google Chrome web browser. Chrome will save your login usernames and passwords for the various  websites you visit. When you save them, it will automatically complete the sign-in fields for you the next time you visit the websites. Earlier, we have seen how we can manage Passwords in Internet Explorer using Credentials Manager- now let us see how to do it in Chrome.

Manage passwords in Chrome

Open your Chrome browser and from the top right Chrome menu button, select Settings. Alternatively, you can simply type chrome://settings in the address bar and hit Enter.

Scroll down and click on Show advanced settings. Now scroll down to the Passwords and forms section and click on the Manage passwords link.



You will a list of all your saved passwords. The passwords will be hidden by asterisk marks. To see them, click on the Show link.



Chrome will ask you to enter your Windows login password. This is good security measure added by Chrome.

 

Once you enter it, you will be shown the password.

Here you manage and delete the saved passwords. When Chrome offered to save a password, if you clicked Never for this site, your password will not be saved and the site will be added to a list of passwords that are never saved. You can also remove any URLs you have saved in the Never saved list. Once you have finished, click on the Done button.

If you wish, you can sync the passwords to your Google Account, so that they are available on other computers you’re using. For this, you will have to be signed in, into your Google account.

Not many of you may know this. Google Chrome browser includes a built-in Password Generator, which can generate complex passwords for you. Go check out the built-in Chrome Password Generator … or perhaps you wish to use our freeware PassBox, or other desktop password manager or online password managers, to generate or save your passwords.

Learn how to manage saved passwords in Firefox here.



Source fromhttp://www.thewindowsclub.com

3:57:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Prevent users from changing Password in Windows 8

There may be times when you may want to restrict or prevent users from changing Password in Windows 8. The reasons could be many – maybe you have two users using the same user account to log into Windows, and you do not one changing the password directly. Or you just simply do not want some user to change his password. In such cases, you can prevent standard users from changing their Password in Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, using Computer Management, Group Policy and Registry Editor.

Prevent users from changing Password

Using Computer Management

From the WinX Menu of Windows 8.1, open Computer Management. In the left pane, scroll down to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.



In the middle pane, you will see the list of user accounts on your Windows computer. Right the user name, on whom you want to apply this restriction and select Properties. The following window will open.



Here check the User cannot change password box and click on Apply.

Now if the user tries to change his password, he or she will receive the message Windows cannot change the password.

Using Group Policy Editor

From the WinX Menu, open the Run box, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

 

Navigate to the following setting:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options

In the right pane, double-click on Remove change password and select Enabled.

This policy setting prevents users from changing their Windows password on demand. If you enable this policy setting,  the ‘Change Password’ button on the Windows Security dialog box will not appear when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del. However, users are still able to change their password when prompted by the system. The system prompts users for a new password when an administrator requires a new password or their password is expiring.

Click Apply and exit.

Using Registry Editor

If your version of Windows, does not have Group Policy, use the Registry Editor.



Run regedit to open the Registry Edtor and navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

Now in the right pane, right-click and select DWORD (32-bit) to create the key. Name  the new DWORD, DisableChangePassword. Double-click on it to edit its value. Now give it value data, 1.

You may be required to restart your Windows computer.



Source fromhttp://www.thewindowsclub.com

3:32:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Restrict access to Control Panel and and PC Settings in Windows 8.1

There may be times when you may want to prevent users from accessing the Control Panel in Windows. This post shows how you can restrict access to Control Panel and PC Settings in Windows 8 or Control Panel in Windows 7, using Group Policy setting and Registry Editor.

Restrict access to Control Panel

Using Group Policy Editor



If your version of Windows 8 has the Group Policy Editor, Run gpedit.msc to open it. Navigate to the following setting:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates, and Control Panel

In the right pane of Control Panel, double click/tap on Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings.

This setting disables all Control Panel programs and the PC settings app. It prevents Control.exe and SystemSettings.exe, the program files for Control Panel and PC settings, from starting. As a result, users cannot start Control Panel or PC settings, or run any of their items. It removes Control Panel from the Start screen and File Explorer, and removes PC Settings from the Start screen, Settings charm, Account picture and Search results. If users try to select a Control Panel item from the Properties item on a context menu, a message appears explaining that a setting prevents the action.

 

Using Registry Editor

If your version of Windows does not have Group Policy, you can use the Registry Editor to disable access to Control Panel and and PC Settings. To do so, Run regedit and navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In the left pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit). Name it NoControlPanel and give it value 1. The following are the possible values and how they work:

• 0 will enable Control Panel and PC Settings


• 1 will disable Control Panel and PC Settings

After you prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings, if any user tries to access them, they will receive the following error box:

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

Hope you are able to get it to work.

Visit this link, if you want to Hide, Show, Add, Remove Specified Control Panel Applets in the Windows operating system.

Source fromhttp://www.thewindowsclub.com

3:31:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0

How to hide Windows 7 Notification Area & System Clock

If you’d like to display a clean Windows 7 taskbar, you will have to hide the notification area and the system clock which appears on the right side if the Windows taskbar.



To hide the notification area or the system tray which appears in the right side of your Windows taskbar, type gpedit.msc in start search box and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

Navigate to User configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.

 

Now double click on the entry Hide the notification area’ Select Enabled button, click Apply > OK.

You can also check out this freeware SysTray Hider which lets you do the same easily.

Hide Clock in Windows 7

To hide the System Clock, double click on the entry Remove clock from the system notification area. Select Enabled button, click Apply > OK.

To revert back to the default settings, you have to set it as Disabled or Not Configured.

You can also easily hide the system clock by the following method:

Right click System Clock > Customize notification icons > Turn system icons on/off.

Thats it!



Source fromhttp://www.thewindowsclub.com

3:30:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0

How to Change Your Name on Facebook So People Can Search Your Maiden or Married Name

So you got married, and now your name on Facebook doesn't relate to your new name.  This article will discuss how to change to your married name, and still be able to have people search for you under your former maiden name.

So you got married, and now your name on Facebook doesn't relate to your new name.  This article will discuss how to change to your married name, and still be able to have people search for you under your former maiden name.

Steps

1. 
   
   
   
   
   1
   
   Visit the Facebook website. Log in with your username and password, if you haven't stored the information for later use.
   
    
   
   


2. 
   
   
   
   
   2
   
   Click the button marked "Account" in the top-right corner of your Facebook screen.
   


3. 
   
   
   
   
   3
   
   Click the "Account Settings" button from the drop-down list.
   


4. 
   
   
   
   
   4
   
   Click the "Edit" link to the right of the row marked "Name" which displays your former (now maiden) name.
   


5. 
   
   
   
   
   5
   
   Change your name in the "last" name box, to read your new "married" name.
   


6. 
   
   
   
   
   6
   
   Type your full maiden (first and last) name into the "Alternate name" box. The next line labelled "Alternate name" is for your maiden name.For example, if your maiden name is Christina Lee and your married name is Christina Smith, do not type Christina Lee-Smith. Just type "Christina Lee" in this "Alternate name" box.
   


7. 
   
   
   
   
   7
   
   Click the "Save changes" button.
   


8. 
   
   
   
   
   8
   
   Type your password in the "Password" box below these entries.
   


9. 
   
   
   
   
   9
   
   Click "Save changes" one more time. It's all done and now people can find you either by your maiden name or your married name.

Steps

1. 
   
   
   
   
   1
   
   Visit the Facebook website. Log in with your username and password, if you haven't stored the information for later use.
   


2. 
   
   
   
   
   2
   
   Click the button marked "Account" in the top-right corner of your Facebook screen.
   


3. 
   
   
   
   
   3
   
   Click the "Account Settings" button from the drop-down list.
   


4. 
   
   
   
   
   4
   
   Click the "Edit" link to the right of the row marked "Name" which displays your former (now maiden) name.
   


5. 
   
   
   
   
   5
   
   Change your name in the "last" name box, to read your new "married" name.
   


6. 
   
   
   
   
   6
   
   Type your full maiden (first and last) name into the "Alternate name" box. The next line labelled "Alternate name" is for your maiden name.For example, if your maiden name is Christina Lee and your married name is Christina Smith, do not type Christina Lee-Smith. Just type "Christina Lee" in this "Alternate name" box.
   


7. 
   
   
   
   
   7
   
   Click the "Save changes" button.
   


8. 
   
   
   
   
   8
   
   Type your password in the "Password" box below these entries.
   


9. 
   
   
   
   
   9
   
   Click "Save changes" one more time. It's all done and now people can find you either by your maiden name or your married name.

Source fromhttp://www.wikihow.com

3:25:00 AM   by Unknown ·   0