1. PPPshar is not loading, why ?

• Internet Explorer 4.x or higher with the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM) component is required in the machine where pppshar is installed. If you have Windows 98, Me, NT (with SPs) or Win 2000, then the JVM required to run PPPshar is already present in your computer. Please run the "Check System" program from the PPPshar program group to detect the presence of this component in your system. If this "check system" program itself does not run, then it is a clear indication that the JVM is absent in your system and PPPshar will not run. You can easily add this JVM component using the Internet Explorer setup wizard. Refer PPPshar Help for more info.
• If the JVM is the absent in your machine and you do not want to install Internet Explorer, just download and install Microsoft Java Virtual Machine in the gateway machine to use PPPshar. You can download the virtual machine from this link - Download MS-JVM from Microsoft.
  Note :You can either use IE or any other browser in the Gateway machine and workstations.

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2. My ISP is using a proxy server. How do I setup PPPshar Pro to go through the ISP's proxy server ?

   First disable the default http service in PPPshar. Go to PPPsharPro-->Settings and under #http section change the line enable=yes to enable=no Then add the following line in the settings file ( a mapped service)

   #proxyhttp
   service=proxyhttp
   map=tcp
   host=your_ISP_proxy_here
   listen=80
   remote=80
   enable=yes

   If your ISP has given a different port number like 8080 then use that instead of 80. Change the port number in client machine browser's proxy settings, accordingly. Use the same proxy port number in both pppshar and the client browser. Follow the same procedure for FTP proxy. Note: You can get your ISPs proxy server address and port by looking through the proxy settings in the browser in the gateway computer.

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3. How to run PPPshar as an icon in the system tray ?

Upgrade to PPPshar Pro 1.8.1. This new version always runs minimized as an icon in the system tray.

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4. Run PPPshar as a service in Windows NT

See the Microsoft's Knowledge Base article HOWTO: Create a User-Defined Service for instructions to make any application to run as a service. Microsoft's WinNT Resource Kit CD includes a very useful utility called Srvany. Srvany allows WinNT users to convert most Desktop applications into a Service application. Refer PPPshar Help for instructions to setup a pppshar service using srvany.

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1. SETI@Home

   According to the information in SETI@Home website, their software will work through any http proxy. But if you encounter any problems, they recommend Sockscap, which enables you to use seti@home behind PPPshar as if the software is "directly connected to Internet". Sockscap helps to play some online games behind the pppshar proxy. See pppshar documentation for more info.

See PPPshar Help file that comes alongwith the software, for instructions to configure a number of popular internet software - browsers, email, ftp clients etc.

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2. Using "Windows Update" in the client machine

Go to the Internet Explorer proxy settings in the client machine. (Tools-->Internet Options in IE 5 and View-->Options in IE 4)

Then remove http and ftp proxy settings. Configure only Socks proxy with port 1080. Windows update works only with this socks proxy setting. For the Socks proxy to work you have to enable dns. Click here for more info

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1. Accessing secure sites - How to setup PPPshar Pro so that the client machines can access secure sites ? (https, SSL)
   

For PPPshar Pro v1.9 - Enter the gateway pc IP address with port 443 in the "Secure" proxy setting in the browser in the client pc.

For PPPshar Pro v1.8.1 and below:- You can access secure sites (including hotmail.com) from the client machines using SOCKS. SOCKS feature is enabled in PPPshar by default.
For SOCKS feature to work from the client machines, you have to first ENABLE DNS under Network properties in the client machines. (refer to the documentation for step-by-step instructions).

Also see the page Instructions for DNS Configuration for using SOCKS proxy (with screenshots) If you still have problems, In IE browser. Go to Tools, then to Internet Options and click on Advanced tab. Under Security, disable these two options - 'Use PCT 1.0' and 'Use TLS 1.0'

In PPPsharPro-->DNS specify your ISPs DNS server. Then configure your browser in the client machine for the SOCKS proxy setting. Leave the Secure/security proxy setting blank. Hotmail is using (https) SSL encryption to authenticate user logins, so configure socks as mentioned above to access it.
Note: PPPshar Lite supports only http (not https) so you cannot access hotmail from the client machines. You should upgrade to PPPshar Pro.

Also see the page Instructions for DNS Configuration for using SOCKS proxy (with screenshots)

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2. Auto-dial / Dial on Demand - How to initiate the dialup connection from the client machine ?

   The gateway machine can be configured to dial-on-demand (autodial) whenever the browser in the client machine attempts to access a website. That means you can initiate a dialup connection from the client machine. A reg file is provided with PPPshar, which will do some modifications in the registry to accomplish the dial on demand.

   In Windows NT under My computer // Dial up Networking there are two places for setting the autodial. Under User Preferences and Logon Preferences the Appearance tab has a place to check for Always prompt before autodial and preview phone number before dialing. Uncheck these boxes.

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3. Auto-disconnect- How to disconnect the connection in the gateway machine automatically after all the client machines have stopped using ?

   Go to Dialup networking. Under properties for a connection go to modem "Configure" and under "connection" tick the option "Disconnect the call if idle for more than". Specify minutes here.

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1. I am getting an error message "Unable to listen for http" in the PPPshar window ?

   You will get this message when the default http port 80 is already being used by some other application(typically a webserver) in the gateway machine. Applications like Personal Webserver, MS-IIS etc will be using port 80 but you can change the port settings in these apps to some other value say 81. Or change the port in PPPshar (PPPsharPro-->Settings) from 80 to some other value. If the http port is changed in PPPshar, the same changed port should be used for configuring the http proxy setting in the browser in client machines.

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2. "Unable to listen for pop3" error message in pppshar window

   The default email pop3 (for receiving) port is being used by some other application in your system, typically anti-virus packages like Norton Antivirus software.
   Go to PPPsharPro-->Settings and under #pop3 section change the value in listen=110 to listen=111 and accordingly use this value (port 111)in the email software in the client machine. In Outlook Express 5 go to the "Advanced" tab Mail Properties under "Server Port numbers" to change this port value. Or you can disable the email protection in the antivirus package, if you wish.

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3. Error message : "unable to listen for dns" in pppshar window.

Solution : If you have Win98 SE or Win Me, then remove the ICS component. If you have WinNT or 2000, stop or disable the DNS service - Go to Administrative Tools-->DNS Under "Action" menu select "Tasks" Then Click Stop to disable DNS. Or Go to Administrative Tools-->Services and Stop DNS Server Service. Then restart pppshar.

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If you can't access certain websites like go.com, infoseek.com, alladvantage.com etc !

If you have problems accessing any websites like go.com infoseek.com, alladvantage.com etc then remove the http proxy setting in your browser and use SOCKS proxy alone. (port 1080) For SOCKS proxy to work, you have to first ENABLE DNS under Network properties in the client machines. Then in PPPsharPro-->DNS specify your ISPs DNS server.

How to find out the DNS (Domain name servers) ?

See Instructions for DNS Configuration for using SOCKS proxy (with screenshots)
If your ISP did not provide you with a primary and secondary name servers, then do this in the gateway machine when you are online. Go to Start-->Run in windows and type "winipcfg" (without quotes) and click ok. Select "PPP Adapter" in the screen shown and then click the "More info" button. Under the DNS Server next to the hostname, you will find the IP which is your DNS server. Type this in PPPshar Pro DNS file.

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5. Problem : PPPshar Pro is loaded in the gateway machine without any errors. But can't access internet from the client PC.

Solution : Here are possible reasons and things you should check out.

1) If you have any Personal Firewall Software in the gateway PC then you need to set it up to allow pppshar to run as a server or trusted application. If you have installed any firewall software in the client pc, disable that and try.

2) Go to network properties in the client PC and see if you have given any "gateway" option in the tcp/ip properties. Gateway option should be left blank.

3) Are you getting any error message in pppshar window like "unable to listen for http" etc. ? If yes, then some other application is using the default http port. (see below for more info)

4) Finally, do this test from gateway machine then restart pppshar (repeat restart pppshar) and try this test in client machine.

Load PPPshar. Go to Start-->Run-->telnet click OK. From the menu, Connection-->Remote System type the gateway machine IP address and under port type 80 and click connect. Try this for "telnet" also instead of port 80. If you get a connection error, then some other application is not allowing pppshar to run properly. Try to find out the conflicting program from the window TaskBar/TaskList by pressing Ctl+Alt+Del keys.

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Security features in PPPshar
Firewall Options - protection against attacks - must for cable modem, adsl users.

Allow/Deny access to specific IP addresses

PPPshar Pro can allow or deny access to specific IP addresses. You can also use this feature to secure the pppshar/gateway machine and your entire network against any attack from Internet, especially when you are using cable modem, ADSL or a dedicated connection. By default this feature is disabled. Here is an example of how PPPshar can allow access only to specific IP address or range of addresses. Changes should be made in Security settings (PPPsharPro-->Security).
For complete instructions refer PPPshar Help

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Problem: Browser in the client machine displays the Error message "Too many terminals using PPPshar"

Solution : There are two reasons for this error message:
1) You have an evaluation version and trying to connect more than one client PC through PPPshar. Evaluation version of PPPshar Pro will allow only one client PC to access the Internet. Or you are trying to connect more client PCs than the allowed licenses. For example, connecting two client PCs using a 1 user version, 6 client PCs using a 5 user version and so on.

2) If you get this error even when you have the right user licenses (1,5, 10, 20 etc) do the following:-

Go to PPPsharPro-->Security and enter the IP addresses of your client PCs under #allow and change false to true under #useallow. Here is an example:-

#allow
192.168.0.2
192.168.0.3

#useallow
true

Restart PPPshar after making these changes. Please note that you can also use wild cards like 192.168.0.* to allow clients with IP addresses starting from 192.168.0.

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Problem: Webpages in the browser in the client PC are loading partially and with broken images.

Solution : This is an issue with the settings in the Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

• Go to Tools and then to Internet Options
• Click on the Advanced tab
• Scroll down to the option HTTP 1.1 Settings
• Make sure both the options - Use HTTP 1.1 and Use HTTP 1.1 through proxy connections are not checked.

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• Internet Explorer 3.x, 4.x, 5.0
• Netscape Navigator
• Eudora 3.x
• Eudora 4.x
• MS-Outlook
• MS-Outlook Express
• WS_FTP
• CuteFTP
• FTP Voyager
• Real Player (G2)
• America Online (AOL3 & 4))
• Compuserve
• Mirabilis ICQ
• AOL Instant Messenger

• mIRC
• Telnet
• Atom Time
• Frontpage 98
• Norton Live Update
• Battle.net/Starcraft games using Sockscap
• Other Online games
• Accessing Secure Sites. (https/SSL) through SOCKS
• Security features in PPPshar
• Configuring PPPshar to go through your ISP's proxy server
• Auto Dial / Dial on Demand & Auto-disconnect