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Who is on my network

I have a small office with just 5 computers. They are set up on a peer-to-peer network. All are connected via a Netgear firewall router. All are running XP with SP2.

On one computer a box popped up at the lower right saying "Betty just joined the network."

Trouble is, there is no "Betty" set up as a user on any of the computers!!! What is this message??

sunray_2003

May be betty is the computer name ??

Is there any software that pops this message or nature of windows in peer to peer network ?

Does this pop-up occur often or only during start of every machine ..

Does the same pop-up occur in other machines or just one computer all the time .

Issaquah

ASKER

There is no Betty as a computer name or user name anywhere on the system.

There is no "reminder" software.

This occured only once and only on one machine.

sunray_2003

Can you disconnect all the computers from the network and then join them back to see if this message comes up..

Issaquah

ASKER

This only came up once...so far.

sunray_2003

Issaquah,

Might be a tough one to say .
disjoining the computers from network and adding back them one by one can help narrow down to from which machine this might be coming..

Issaquah

ASKER

Would do if this happened frequently...but it doesn't.

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crissand

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Issaquah

ASKER

Good suggestions....

I do have Outlook 2003 and have asked the user if the popup was blue

I do have wireless access, but they are secured with WAP. But even if there was someone joining the net, what is the XP program/utiltity that would indicate that someone is joining?

sunray_2003

Issaquah,
> I do have wireless access, but they are secured with WAP.

Can you give the structure of your network .. how they are connected ?

I probably think it is just an inbuilt functionality of windows xp to say someone has joined network..

Issaquah

ASKER

Already noted above on how they are connected.

What is the function of XP...I don't see it happening anywhere except here.

sunray_2003

I wanted to know how many computers access wireless and is there any computer setup as access point and all those details .

Is there any specific reason why you are hesitant to disjoin all computers from network and add them back to narrow down what caused the pop-up ?

crissand

I know that wireless network client can show such a message, but I thought that is displayed only when the computer connect to another network. Can you see the event logs on that particular computer, maybe you'll find something on the security log.

Issaquah

ASKER

Where would I find the event log?

crissand

As administrator right click My computer and select Manage. Scroll down to event viewer.

adamdrayer

did you mean they are secured with WAP or WEP?

crissand

Can it be a message from ICQ or other instant messaging client? Or from a p2p application, like direct connect's strong dc?

scrmcna

I'm thinking it's some kind of instant messaging client on the PC too.

Issaquah

ASKER

It appears it was an email announcement via Outlook 2003.

Thanks!

sunray_2003

Issaquah

Hmm. Glad you got it solved but I wonder why you never disjoined the computers from the network and joined them back to replicate the situation..

Issaquah

ASKER

The problem could not be replicated. It was a one time occurance (to date).