Gateway Computer Problems, Service Technicians,
and Accessing the Internet Without a Browser

An E-mail Exchange Between Barbara Brabec and
Software Engineer/Developer Gavin Landon in 2006

Gavin Landon: "I fell across your web page on the Norton problem while doing a Norton search through Google. I'm a software engineer/developer for over 20 years with over 10 years' Internet experience. Now let me give you this one comment: Never buy a Gateway machine.

"They put proprietary hardware and software in your machine so you will always have these kinds of problems. Gateway does this to force you to purchase software from them. If you had asked Gateway what they recommended, they would have sold you their version of SystemWorks. This is Gateway's thought process, even though it's a bad one.

"Norton has been around almost as long as Microsoft, but when it comes to computers, Gateway is a fairly new company, taking the old IBM route of doing things. I would suggest you buy a DELL next time."

Barbara: "Thanks for your comments. You're not the first one to suggest I buy a Dell next time. But except for this SystemWorks problem, I've had no other problems with my two Gateway computers. The regular Norton Antivirus software they package with their systems works fine, and of course I have always upgraded to the latest version. (July 2007: I now use CA Internet Security for protection on my Windows XP system.)

"But what really bothers me about Gateway now is, whenever I do have a problem--such as when I had problems with Internet Explorer crashing all the time-- and I call them for advice, they always say, "You'll have to reformat and start all over again." This advice came from a fellow who said he was a 'real pro' and knew what he was talking about. But he was
full of beans. This is just Gateway's easy way out of any problem. Actually, as it turned out, all I had to do was delete the Alexa toolbar I had downloaded, which, unbeknownst to me, had dumped about 50 entries in my registry files and screwed up the works. After checking my system with AdAware's spy-removal problem and dumping all the Alexa files, IE began to work properly again, as before."

Gavin: "I reformat my machine once a year. This is usually good practice since, over the year, you will install all kinds of junk that you will not be using the next year. As for your experience with that 'real pro," any rep on a support call is no real pro, no matter what they think. If they were, they would be building the machine or writing the software, not working support with a quarter of the pay.

"I had a 'real pro' come out to my house one day to install my Cable Modem. He tried telling me I needed their version of Internet Explorer on my machine before I could get on the Internet. He really believed that until I took the notebook away from him, put in the IP Address information myself, and hit Google. They all think they are pros."

Barbara: "Okay. . . so how to you access the Web without a browser? What do you mean, 'punching in the IP'? Want to share some technical info I can pass along to my readers?"

Gavin: "I can humor you, but I have to warn you, I may start talking Geek. Every machine on the Internet--yours, mine, everyone's--has an IP address associated with it. This is how the FBI knows who sent the virus, no matter how good the bum is that sent it. Attached is data the FBI uses that you never see, but it piggybacks on every email sent on the Internet. The attached info came from your last email to me." (Here, Gavin included the header copy on my e-mail, which I had previously written about HERE. )

Gavin Explains How to Access the Internet Without a Browser

"Assuming you're running Windows, try the following:
     Click START
     Click RUN
Now, depending on your Windows version, Type "cmd", and press ENTER. ONLY if that doesn't work (and you will know if it doesn't), type "command", and press ENTER.
At this time, a black window will appear in front of you. This is called a console window. (It pre-dates back to the 90's and old Win3, which was based on MS-DOS.) 
Now type, "ipconfig", and press ENTER.

"Now a few things will appear, one being the 'IP Address.' Other info is your 'Subnet Mask' and 'Default Gateway.' In Windows, you had to install software that set these IP's for you or you can set up the IP's yourself. These tell Windows to use these IP Addresses to access Networks and the Internet. Some people, like that so-called "pro," think you have to install Internet Explorer for Windows to know how to use my Internet Provider, when actually Internet Explorer doesn't care as long as it can get to the Internet. Windows itself is what connects, not Internet Explorer. When I said, 'I punched in the IPs,' the 'Subnet Mask' and 'Default Gateway' in my Network Settings of Windows is actually what I meant.

"However, re your question about Google. Goggle does have its own set of IPs and, yes, I can access Goggle through them as well. At your console window, type 'ping www.google.com,' press ENTER.

"You will see a few things. . . one being one of the IPs that Google.com uses. Should look something like, '216.239.39.99,' but can vary on every ping, but sometime stays consistent. With this IP you can type in: http://216.239.39.99 as a URL and Google will pop up.

"To exit the console window, type 'Exit' and press ENTER."

_____________________

Gavin Landon is currently the senior software engineer/developer at CashWorksInc.com. He started with a Tandy 1000 in the 80s and played with computers until the early 90s when he found himself caught up in hacking, which taught him a lot about how the Internet works. He started Karland.com in 1997 and IndexOnUs.com in 1999, and has a financial interest in GeeksatWork.com. "I have no college, but I can write software in 14 languages and can pick out a fake geek in seconds," he says. Gavin also writes music and says he is an artist at heart.