Copyright: NetHelper 1.0 Copyright 1997 Core Competence


NetHelper Index
NetHelper Help Index

NetHelper is a 32-bit Windows shareware application developed by Core Competence (c) 1997. NetHelper consists of an integrated set of desktop network diagnostic tools which include:

Ping

Trace Route

Routes

Connections

Statistics

Hostname/Address Lookup

Registration Panel

Help text is also available for:

Install, UnInstall, and Trouble Shooting Instructions

Registration Instructions

NetHelper Licensing

We hope you find NetHelper a friendly, useful addition to your desktop.  Please feel free to try out NetHelper for as long as you like.  If you find NetHelper useful, we ask that you register your copy.  Please visit our web site at http://www.corecom.com/Software or write to us at info@corecom.com.


Ping

The Ping panel allows you to send ICMP Echo messages (called pings) to a destination identified by either hostname or IP address.  Select the destination to ping (by default, your own system's loopback address), modify Options if desired, and press the Ping button to issue this command.  Ping results are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Hostname or Address

Enter the destination hostname or an IP address in dotted decimal format (n.n.n.n).  Each new value entered in this field is automatically added to the pulldown list for future use.  To select a previously entered value, use your left mouse button to click on the down arrow, highlight the value you want to select, and click the mouse button again.  The value you have selected will now appear in the Hostname or Address box.

View List

Use this button to view, delete entries from, or clear the list of hostnames and IP addresses specified by previously-issued Ping commands.

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results.  Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Options

Use this button to view or modify options which affect the Ping command.

Ping

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to issue a Ping command with the specified destination and options.  If a non-zero Repeat Interval has been specified, this Ping command will be repeated every Repeat Interval seconds until you modify the interval.  Otherwise, the Ping command will be issued only once.  Ping results are displayed in the Output Box.


Ping Options

The Ping Options dialog box allows you to modify Options which affect Ping command results, if desired.  Default values specified for each option are applied if you do not modify these options.  You may always return to these default values by using the Defaults button, or cancel any modifications made by using the Cancel button.  Use the Ok button to accept the option values currently displayed in this dialog box.

Echo Requests

Enter the number of ICMP Echo messages to be sent to the destination (default 4).

Packet Size

Enter the size of ICMP Echo messages to be sent to the destination (default 32 bytes).

Timeout

Enter the number of milliseconds that NetHelper should wait for each ICMP echo reply (default 300 milliseconds).

Repeat Interval

Enter the number of seconds between repetitions of this Ping command (default 0).  When the Repeat Interval is zero, NetHelper invokes a single Ping command with the specified options.  When the Repeat Interval is greater than zero, NetHelper waits the specified number of seconds between each Ping command, and repeats the Ping command until the Repeat Interval is modified or NetHelper is exited.


Trace Route

The Trace Route panel allows you to send ICMP Commands which identify the route taken by packets sent from your system to a destination identified by either hostname or IP address.  Select the destination of the trace (by default, your own system's loopback address), modify Options if desired, and press the Trace Route button to issue this command.  Trace results are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Hostname or Address

Enter the destination hostname or an IP address in dotted decimal format (n.n.n.n).  Each new value entered in this field is automatically added to the pulldown list for future use.  To select a previously entered value, use your left mouse button to click on the down arrow, highlight the value you want to select, and click the mouse button again.  The value you have selected will now appear in the Hostname or Address box.

View List

Use this button to view, delete entries from, or clear the list of hostnames and IP addresses specified by previously-issued Trace Route commands.

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results. Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Options

Use this button to view or modify options which affect the Trace Route command.

Trace Route

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to issue a Trace Route command with the specified destination and options.  Trace results are displayed in the Output Box as a list of "hops" between your system and the destination, where each hop is identified by IP address, an optional hostname, and three round-trip response times between your system and that hop.


Trace Route Options

The Trace Route Options dialog box allows you to modify Options which affect Trace Route command results, if desired.  Default values specified for each option are applied if you do not modify these options.  You may always return to these default values by using the Defaults button, or cancel any modifications made by using the Cancel button.  Use the Ok button to accept the option values currently displayed in this dialog box.

Timeout

Enter the number of milliseconds that NetHelper should wait for each ICMP echo reply (default 300 milliseconds).

Maximum Hops

Enter the maximum number of hops that you want NetHelper to record before abandoning the Trace Route (default 20 hops).

Resolve Addresses To Hostnames

When checked, NetHelper attempts to resolve each IP address discovered during the trace in order to display the "hop" by hostname.  Otherwise, NetHelper displays each "hop" by IP address.  We recommend leaving this box at its default value (unchecked, do not resolve hostnames) to improve Trace Route performance.


Routes

The Routes panel allows you to view the current set of network layer routes available for packets sent and received by your system.  Optionally identify the route you wish to inquire about (by default, all routes are returned) and press the Routes button to issue this command.  Current routing table entries are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Network Address

Leave this field blank to return all possible routes.  Otherwise, enter a single route's network address here in dotted decimal format (n.n.n.n).

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results. Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Routes

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to issue a Route command with the specified network address.  All affected entries in the active routing table are displayed in the Output Box as a list of "routes" between your system and other destinations throughout the network.  Each active route returned consists of the following values:

Network Address	Netmask	Gateway Address	Interface	Metric

207.86.152.0	255.255.255.192	207.86.152.169	207.86.152.170	1

The destination Network Address (207.86.152.0) identifies the subnetwork associated with this routing table entry.  The Netmask (255.255.255.192) determines the size of this subnetwork.  The Gateway Address (207.86.152.169) identifies the "next hop" to which packets using this route will be forwarded.  The Interface (207.86.152.170) identifies the network address of the adapter card used to send packets associated with this route.  The Metric (1) indicates the "cost" of this route.


TCP/UDP Connections
Connections

The Connections panel allows you to view currently active TCP and UDP connections, including server ports which are listening but not yet connected.  Indicate whether TCP, UDP, or both types of connections should be displayed and press the Connections button to issue this command.  Active connections are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Name or Number

Select a display method by clicking one of these two radio buttons.  Connections displayed by Name use the format hostname:portname, while connections displayed by Number use the format ipaddress:portnumber.

TCP

Select this option to view connections associated with the Transmission Control Protocol.

UDP

Select this option to view connections associated with the User Datagram Protocol.

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results. Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Defaults

Use this button to reset all Connections panel options to default values (display both TCP and UDP Connections by Name).

Connections

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to issue a Netstat command with the specified options.  A list of active TCP and UDP connections between your system and other hosts throughout the network is displayed in the Output Box.  Each connection returned consists of the following values:

Proto	Local Address	Foreign Address	State

TCP	aptiva:1230	tahiti.netreach.net:pop3	ESTABLISHED

In this example, the Local Address (aptiva:1230) identifies the port used by the local host's email client, while the Foreign Address (tahiti.netreach.net:pop3) identifies the port used by the remote host's POP3 email server.  A TCP connection is currently established between these two ports.


Statistics

The Statistics panel allows you to view current data link, network, and/or transport layer protocol counter values.  Select the type of counters to be displayed - Interface (default), IP, TCP, or UDP - and press the Statistics button to issue this command.  The requested counter values are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Interface

Select this option to view counters associated with your Ethernet adapter card.  This option can be included in any combination of counters, and is selected by default.

IP

Select this option to view counters associated with the Internet Protocol.  This option can be included by itself, or in conjunction with both TCP and UDP counters.

TCP

Select this option to view counters associated with the Transmission Control Protocol.  This option can be included by itself, or in conjunction with both IP and UDP counters.

UDP

Select this option to view counters associated with the User Datagram Protocol.  This option can be included by itself, or in conjunction with both IP and TCP counters.

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results. Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Defaults

Use this button to reset all Statistics panel options to default values (Interface Statistics selected, all others options deselected).

Statistics

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to issue a Netstat command with the specified options.  A list of counter values is displayed in the Output Box, grouped by protocol type.  All counters are cumulative since Windows was last (re)started.


Hostname/Address Lookup

The Lookup panel allows you to map a Hostname to an IP Address or vice versa.  Select the Hostname or IP Address to resolve (by default, your own system's loopback name, localhost) and press the Lookup button to issue this command.  Lookup results are then displayed in this panel's scrollable Output Box.

Hostname or Address

Enter a hostname or IP address in dotted decimal format (n.n.n.n).  Each new value entered in this field is automatically added to the pulldown list for future use.  To select a previously entered value, use your left mouse button to click on the down arrow, highlight the value you want to select, and click the mouse button again.  The value you have selected will now appear in the Hostname or Address box.

View List

Use this button to view, delete entries from, or clear the list of hostnames and IP addresses specified by previously-issued Lookup commands.

Cumulative Output

By default, NetHelper clears the scrollable Output Box before displaying new results. Check the Cumulative Output option to have the result of each command appended to previous results displayed in the Output Box.

Lookup

Click on this button to instruct NetHelper to map the specified Hostname to a corresponding IP Address, or map the specified IP Address to a corresponding Hostname.  Lookup results are displayed in the Output Box.


Using The View List
Using The View List Dialog Box

The View List dialog box allows you to view, delete entries from, or clear the list of hostnames and IP addresses specified by previously-issued Ping, Trace Route, or Lookup commands.

This list is constructed automatically by NetHelper as you issue commands to new destinations.  This feature makes it easy to invoke commands for destinations often used.  Over time, however, you may wish to "clean up" the resulting list.

To do this, you may remove values from the list by selecting one or more entries and using the Delete button.  If you remove all entries from the list, the loopback name of your local host (localhost) will be automatically added to the list.  You may always return the list to this single localhost entry by using the Reset button, or cancel any modifications made by using the Cancel button.  Use the Ok button to accept the list currently displayed in this dialog box.


Using The Register Panel
Using The Registration Panel

The Registration panel allows you to Register your copy of NetHelper by entering the Name and Key (Registration Number) provided by Core Competence when you purchased this shareware product.

Name

Enter your name exactly as it appears on the Registration Form you submitted to Core Competence to register this product.

Number

Enter the Registration Key provided to you by Core Competence when you registered this product.  To obtain a valid Registration Key, complete the Registration Form and send it to Core Competence.

Print Registration Form

Use this button to print a copy of the Registration Form.

Clear

Use this button to reset both Registration Information fields.

Register

Click on this button to validate the Registration Information you have just entered.  A dialog box displays validation results.  The Register button is no longer active once the product has been successfully registered.

Until you register your copy of NetHelper, this panel will appear by default as a reminder whenever you run this application.  After you successfully register NetHelper, the most recently used panel will appear instead each time you run the application.


Install, UnInstall, and Trouble Shooting
NetHelper 1.0 Install, UnInstall, and Trouble Shooting

NetHelper 1.0 operates on any PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0.  There are no minimum requirements for memory and processor -- if you can run Windows 95 or NT 4.0, you can probably run NetHelper!  At least one modem or network adapter card must be installed on the PC in order to use NetHelper.

To Install NetHelper

There are two ways to install NetHelper.

1) Run the self-extracting zip file NetHelp.exe, or

2) Use an archive utility to unzip NetHelp.zip.

In either case, expand the content of the zip file into a temporary directory and run Setup.exe.  The Installer will prompt you to:

- accept the terms of NetHelper's License Agreement;

- choose the destination folder to contain NetHelper; and

- choose the program folder (start menu item) to represent NetHelper.

You may Cancel installation any time before responding to the last prompt.  After you respond "Next" to the Program Folder prompt, the Installer will copy NetHelper files to the specified destination folder and add NetHelper, NetHelper Readme, and UnInstall NetHelper items to the specified Start Menu program folder.  When installation has been completed, the Installer will prompt you to allow your PC to be rebooted.

Before installing any software, it is generally a good idea to back up your existing configuration.  NetHelper Setup may update or install the following DLL files in your Windows/System or WinNT/System32 folder: Mfc42.dll and Msvcrt.dll.

Running NetHelper

You may run NetHelper using either the destination folder icon or program menu item.  If active DLLs were updated during installation, you will find it necessary to reboot before running NetHelper.

Whenever you run an unregistered copy of NetHelper, you will be reminded to register.  After you have registered, NetHelper will display the most recently used panel by default.

To UnInstall NetHelper

There are two ways to un-install NetHelper.

1) Run UnInstall NetHelper using the program menu item or folder icon; or

2) Use the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel feature.

In either case, the utility will ask you to confirm that you wish to remove NetHelper from your PC.  You may cancel by responding "No" or continue by responding "Yes".  The UnInstaller reverses all steps taken during Installation, including removal of the destination folder, program folder, menu items, and DLL files no longer in use.

Trouble Shooting NetHelper

Please review the following hints if you encounter a problem while using NetHelper.

1) NetHelper becomes unresponsive when processing a request.  This is normal, and will last only until the request can be satisfied.  Unusually lengthy requests may take up to 30 seconds to complete (60 seconds for Trace Route), and then will be abandoned.

2) To terminate a request that is still in progress, it is necessary to end the NetHelper task (e.g., by entering Ctrl-Alt-Delete).  We are working on adding a Cancel button!

3) At least one modem or network adapter card with a binding to TCP/IP must be installed to use NetHelper.  Error messages such as "PING: transmit failed, error code 10043" will occur when attempting to use NetHelper on a PC that is not configured for TCP/IP.

4) During installation, NetHelper may install or update two DLL files (Mfc42.dll and Msvcrt.dll) located in your Windows/System or WinNT/System32 folder.  If either DLL is currently in-use, you must reboot before running NetHelper.  Error messages such as "NetHelper.exe linked to missing export MFC42.DLL:6438" will occur when attempting to use NetHelper on a PC that is still running an older DLL version.  These error messages will no longer occur after you reboot your PC.

5) In rare cases, old software may be incompatible with newer versions of Mfc42.dll and Msvcrt.dll.  To ensure that you'll always be able to restore your previous configuration, we recommend that you back up your old DLL files before installing NetHelper.

No formal product support is provided, but if you encounter a problem with NetHelper that you cannot resolve, please check our web site http://www.corecom.com/Software for recent updates.  If you are still unable to resolve the problem, send a description, including the type of PC and operating system that you are using, to info@corecom.com.


How To Register NetHelper
NetHelper Registration Instructions

We hope you find NetHelper a friendly, useful addition to your arsenal of desktop network diagnostic tools.  Please feel free to try out NetHelper for as long as you like.  If you find NetHelper useful, we ask that you register your copy.  In return, Registered NetHelper users will receive the following added benefits.

1) A registration key to license your copy of NetHelper.  Once you have registered NetHelper, the application will automatically open to the most recently used tool instead of the Registration reminder panel.

2) A free copy of NetHelper Advanced, an upgrade to the basic NetHelper tool kit.  Features now under consideration for NetHelper Advanced include:

- Additional NetBIOS statistics.

- Additional Windows Network Neighborhood connections.

- A Network Diagnostician that guides you through steps to identify

  common network problems and suggest possible resolutions.

You, our registered users, will help to shape NetHelper Advanced by providing us with your comments and feedback on NetHelper 1.0.  We envision adding a modest set of features to produce NetHelper Advanced and make it available to registered users by the end of 1997.

3) Automatic notification of updates, fixes, and future products.  As a Registered NetHelper user, you will be able to download any updates or fixes at no additional cost or registration fee!

Registering NetHelper

You may register your copy of NetHelper by postal mail or an on-line registration service.

To register your copy of NetHelper by postal mail, print the Registration Form shown below using the Print Registration Form button on the Register panel.  Complete the form and mail it, along with payment, to:

Core Competence, Inc.

1620 Tuckerstown Road

Dresher, PA 19025 USA

This registration method can be used for single-user, multi-user, and site licenses and payment by check, money order, or Purchase Order.

To register your copy of NetHelper with an on-line registration service, use a web browser to access one of the following URLs:

ShareIt! Registration Service	http://www.shareit.com/programs/100590.htm

The Registration Network	http://www.swregnet.com/1335p.htm

and follow the instructions given there. On-line registration can be used to pay for a single-user license by credit card, but incurs an additional $5 handling fee.  The Registration Network will also process your order and credit card payment by fax or telephone; call 1 800 WWW2REG (1 800 999-2734).

Pricing

A single-user license for NetHelper 1.0 is just $15 US.

Additional licenses for NetHelper 1.0 are available at a discount:

2-5  users………………………………………………$12  per user

5-10 users……………………………………………..$10  per user

10+  users…………………………………….$150 per site license

NetHelper software is normally distributed on-line.  To obtain a free evaluation copy of NetHelper, visit http://www.corecom.com/Software.  If you prefer to receive your copy of NetHelper on a floppy disk, shipped to an address in the US, enclose an additional $5 shipping and handling fee with your order.


Registration Form
NetHelper 1.0 Registration Form

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Address line 1: ………………………………………………………………………………………

Address line 2: ………………………………………………………………………………………

City: ………………………………………..	State: ………….	 Zip: ……………………………..

Phone number: (….. )…………………….	Fax number: (….. )	………………………………..

Email address: ………………………………………………………………………………………

(……) Please send my registration key by email to the above address.

(……) *OR* Please send my registration key by postal mail.

(……) Check here if you would like to receive product update and fix notifications by email.

Number of Copies

(……) Single-user license for NetHelper 1.0	@$ 15.00 ea = $………..

(……) 2nd - 5th user license	@$ 12.00 ea = $………..

(……) 5th - 10th user license	@$ 10.00 ea = $………..

(……) Unlimited use Site License	@$150.00 ea = $………..

(……) Floppy shipped to address WITHIN USA	@$  5.00 ea = $………..

Pennsylvania residents please add 6% sales tax	$………..

TOTAL DUE	$………..

Mail this form together with check or money order payable in US $ to:

Core Competence, Inc.

1620 Tuckerstown Road

Dresher, PA 19025 USA

Thank you for registering your copy of NetHelper!


NetHelper Licensing
NetHelper 1.0 Licensing

NetHelper 1.0 is copyrighted © 1997 by Core Competence, Inc..  This file contains legal binding information about licensing and distribution of NetHelper.  You should read the following terms and conditions carefully before using this software.  Use of this software indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions.  If you do not agree with the conditions and rules stated here, remove this copy of NetHelper from your system and do not use this software.

1. NetHelper software may be freely distributed in its original, unmodified form by individual users for trial use and evaluation purposes.

2. NetHelper software may be uploaded to web sites, public FTP sites, Bulletin Board Systems, Usenet newsgroups or any network site for the express purpose of providing access to download NetHelper for free trial use and evaluation purposes.

3. NetHelper software may NOT be distributed on CD-ROM disks, diskettes or any other media, or in conjunction with any other software package, without express authorization of Core Competence, Inc.. Authorization for distribution may be obtained in the form of a specific, signed, "Non-exclusive Distribution License Agreement" by contacting Core Competence, 1620 Tuckerstown Road, Dresher, PA, 19025.

4. NetHelper Registration Keys may only be distributed by Core Competence, Inc. or by distributors who have obtained the specific, signed, "Non-exclusive Distribution License Agreement" described above.  No entity other than Core Competence, Inc. and its authorized distributors may charge for (or request donations for) NetHelper.

5. No component part of NetHelper may be distributed individually, disassembled, copied, reverse engineered, or altered in any form.  The software must be distributed in its entire, original, unmodified form, and must therefore include this license agreement.

6. Individual users or sites who wish to use NetHelper as a diagnostic tool on a regular basis are required to register.  See the Registration Instructions for additional information and instructions.  Unregistered use of NetHelper beyond a reasonable evaluation period is in violation of federal copyright laws.

7. This software and the accompanying files are provided "as is" and without warranties as to performance of merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied.  The user assumes the entire risk of using the program.  Under no circumstances will Core Competence, Inc., be liable in any manner for use or mis-use of this software.

8. No formal product support is provided, but users are encouraged to send questions or suggestions to Core Competence, Inc., at the address below.

To contact Core Competence, Inc., about NetHelper:

Visit our home page	http://www.corecom.com/Software

Stop by our FTP site	ftp://www.corecom.com/pub/corecom/Software

Send email to	info@corecom.com

Fax us	+1 610-458-3505

Write to us	1620 Tuckerstown Road, Dresher, PA 19025 USA


Contact Us

Core Competence, Inc.

1620 Tuckerstown Road

Dresher, PA 19025 USA

http://www.corecom.com/Software

ftp://www.corecom.com/pub/corecom/Software

info@corecom.com

Fax: +1 610-458-3505


ICMP Echo Command

The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) defines an "echo" message which can be sent from one host to another in order to verify current reachability.  These so-called "ping" messages are echoed back by the recipient to the sender, similar to the way in which a sonar "ping" is echoed back when it hits a solid object.  Successful results include the delay in milliseconds between the time the initial message was sent and the time the echo reply was received.  Unsuccessful results occur when the sender "times out" before a reply is received, and often indicate that the destination is unreachable.


ICMP Trace Route Command

The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) defines "echo" and "time exceeded" messages which can be used to discover the route an IP packet would take to a specified destination.  The system initiating the trace sends a series of ICMP echo messages which contain increasing "time to live" values.  Each system along the route returns an ICMP time exceeded message for each incoming echo message that has been in transit longer than its specified "time to live" value.  The sender uses these returned messages to derive the route taken through the network to the destination.  Trace route results include one output line for each "hop" along the discovered route, where each hop is identified by IP address, an optional hostname, and three round-trip response times (i.e., milliseconds elapsed between sending the ICMP echo message and receiving the ICMP time exceeded response from that hop).  The sender may "time out" before the route can be completely plotted to the destination.  For this reason, a trace route is often used to determine where the loss of reachability between two systems is occurring: for example, to differentiate between a destination web or email server failure and a Internet Service Provider network failure.


Netstat Command

A netstat command is provided by most commercial TCP/IP stacks, including the Microsoft Windows MSTCP stack.  This command allows the user to query various network statistics, including the current set of available routes, counts of packets sent and received by each protocol layer, and active TCP or UDP connections.  NetHelper relies upon netstat to supply information displayed in the Statistics and Connections panels.


Route Command

A route command is provided by most commercial TCP/IP stacks, including the Microsoft Windows MSTCP stack.  This command allows the network administrator to add, delete, modify, and view active routes in your PC's routing table.  Your PC updates its routing table dynamically as it observes changes in network topology.  For example, when you place a call with dial-up networking, route(s) are added to reflect new destination subnetwork(s) that have become reachable through your modem and the server to which it is connected.  Your PC uses these routes to send packets while you are dialed in.  When you later disconnect the call, these routes are automatically deleted from the active routing table; the affected subnetworks are no longer reachable.

Each active route consists of the following values:

Network Address	Netmask	Gateway Address	Interface	Metric

207.86.152.0	255.255.255.192	207.86.152.169	207.86.152.170	1

In this example, the destination Network Address (207.86.152.0) identifies the subnetwork associated with this routing table entry.  The Netmask (255.255.255.192) determines the size of this subnetwork by "masking off" part of a 32-bit IP address; the remaining bits are used to identify hosts within this subnetwork.  In this example, the mask consumes 26 bits (0xFFFFFC0), leaving 6 host bits (0x00 through 0x3F, or 0-63), resulting in host addresses that lie between 207.86.152.0 (the subnetwork address) and 207.86.152.63 (the subnetwork address + 63).

The Gateway Address (207.86.152.169) identifies the "next hop" to which packets using this route will be forwarded.  In this example, all packets destined for any address between 207.86.152.0 and 207.86.152.63 are sent to the gateway 207.86.152.169.  As each packet is received by 207.86.152.169, this gateway uses its own routing table to determine the next hop and forward the packet along towards its intended destination.

The Interface (207.86.152.170) identifies the network address of the adapter card used by your PC to send packets associated with this route.  In this example, 207.86.152.170 is the IP address assigned to the LAN card connecting this PC to the gateway 207.86.152.169.  In other situations, this may be the IP address assigned to your modem whenever you dial into an Internet Service Provider.

The Metric (1) indicates the "cost" of this route, and is used by your system when comparing more than one candidate route to the same destination.  In that situation, the route with the lower metric is considered the active route.


DNS Resolution
Domain Name Service Resolution

The Domain Name Service (DNS) allows users to "resolve" hostnames and network addresses - that is, to map a hostname into the corresponding set of network addresses, or to map a network address into the corresponding set of hostnames.  When NetHelper resolves a hostname, it attempts to return the list of IP addresses assigned to that hostname.  Similarly, when NetHelper resolves an IP address, it attempts to return the list of hostnames assigned to that IP address.  Successful DNS resolution requires access to one or more Domain Name Server(s) located somewhere in the network, as configured for use by TCP/IP in your PC's Windows Network Control Panel.  Your local hosts file is always consulted before a DNS query is attempted.


Output Box
Scrollable Output Box

A scrollable Output Box appears on each panel to display the result of commands executed by NetHelper.

By default, NetHelper clears the Output Box before displaying new results.  Checking the Cumulative Output option causes new results to be appended to previous results.  The Cumulative Output option is configured per panel and affects only results displayed in that panel's Output Box.

Text displayed in the Output Box can be selected, copied, and pasted using standard Windows commands: Control-A to Select All, Control-C to Copy, Control-V to paste, Control-Z to undo.  For example, use Control-A + Control-C to copy all results and paste them into a text editor for printing.  Or use Control-C to select an address displayed in the Output Box and use Control-V to paste it into the "Hostname or Address" field of another panel.