Need Help Setting Up Your Home Network?
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Monday, October 31, 2005 4:19 PM PT
I saw a demo of
Pure Networks' Network Magic 2.0. It helps users configure and manage their home networks and has a couple of other noteworthy features.
Pure Networks says that Network Magic 2.0 recognizes hundreds of devices, so in theory, you should be able to install it on a networked PC and have it find the rest of your connected devices. It should be able to bring up a device's configuration settings and help you set up shared and private folders on a networked drive. It's up to individual device manufacturers to determine which settings you can configure through Network Magic, so don't expect to see all your router's advanced options. Once you're set up, Network Magic gives you a visual map of your network, and more importantly, visual indicators of devices that are down.
The software comes with a free year of the company's Net2Go service, which lets you access your files remotely through a Web interface. Pure Networks CEO Timothy Dowling quickly showed off how he could get at files, photos, and videos located on his home PC. He also gave me a quick look at his basement through an always-on Web cam. That stuff still kind of creeps me out, but I guess it's good for users of baby- and pet-cams.
The second feature I liked was Wireless Intruder Detection, which will be the bane of Wi-Fi interlopers trying to mooch off of your network. Network Magic uses MAC address filtering to allow approved devices to connect. It boots off everyone else. (A lot of people think MAC filtering is a poor way to secure your network, by the way.)
Network Magic 2.0 costs $50 for networking up to five PCs plus whatever non PC devices you've got on there.
Have any of you tried Network Magic yet? Tell us about it.
I have tried their limpware in beta and 'retail' version. The product is terrible and not ready for release. It cannot do the very first, elemental issue that this kind of product should: it could not detect my 'fully supported' D-Link router.
This is the first thing the software tries to do after install. It was the same in beta as it is in the 'retail' version--it failed. When I contacted them their tech non-support pointed me to a FAQ to follow the FAQ.
The name the software is "Network Magic" not "Maybe a Network If You Try These Steps in Our FAQ" When I pointed out to them (Sales and Tech--could be one and the same) that their software failed on the fundamentals .... they didn't much, seem to care.
They did refund my money without argument.
I have tried both version (1.0) and am now using version 2.0. Version 2.0 is a massive improvement and it recognized my Dell router without incident this time around. I have a friend who is also trying 2.0 and his router wasn't immediately recognized, but it was simple with the notification in the software to input it, and within about 30 seconds he was up and running.
I run a desktop and a laptop, both wirelessly. 2.0 has helped me turn my desktop into a file/print server without any hassle. I also like to work from my desktop for egonomic reasons, but run my Outlook from laptop as I work onsite for several clients. I have my key folders shared between both PCs and I simply just save files to my laptop or drop and drop them between the two machines.
Network Magic is great. I've been using it since the beta stage and it has come a long way in version 2.0. I have never had a minimum amount of sharing problems with any of my 4 computers or 2 printers in the network, and the few I have had were solved in a matter of hours by the Pure Networks Staff. You really need to check the forum they offer in their website. And I don't you know you, mbkitchen, but they have returned every single email I've sent their way.
The new release even has some "Power Toys" which although directed towards a more advanced audience, let you modify the interface and/or add new options. I see a lot of potential in this new update, kind of gives you a "Firefox plugin" type of feeling to your networking.
NM recognizes my iBook and Xbox and displays it all neatly in a beautifully designed map. Because of the functionality and the eye candy, I simply lov e it.
Windows Networking is sub-par software, especially for inexperienced users that have to deal with firewalls they know nothing about. Hell, my dad learned how to use NM is a couple of days time and he is far from being a computer geek.
I would suggest you atleast give it a try, that's how I started and it was worth it.
Correction to above post: "I've had a minimum amount of sharing problems with any of my 4 computers and 2 printers in the network,"
fero,
I looked at the version of NM, I last tried, and it was 1.0.2733.1 from 26 June 05. So my comments about the software are colored by trying that version and the beta. Both, underwhelmed me.
However, the emails I received from their tech (and they did answer my emails) left me with a 'bad taste'. Also, I test and validate software for a living and it is a bit of a pet peeve, of mine, when someone puts out software and says, 'Yea, it works great .... on my system. Maybe you did something wrong.' I've been working on/with mainframes and PCs for more than 20 years. I hope I know what I'm doing by now.
The D-Link router I bought actually came with Network Magic. Set up was easy and Network Magic recognized all the stuff on my network including my NAS.
Works extremely well. The best networking software product seen ever.
mbkitchen: get in touch with us at PC World...contact me directly. Ramon_McLeod (at) pcworld.com
I'm the site Editor-in-Chief and your background is of interest...
Really great program - works like well -- magic. Allows really simple sharing of printers and files - not sure what issue people above are having - tech support is also very good.
Manually setting up your network in Windows is as easy or easier than using this POS.
someone help lead me to doc's on how to setup a hotspot in my home..
gizzard
I have attempted to use NWM 2.0 and although I think it is a great program the support sucks. I have installed it at least four times and each time it fails to put the other computer into a active mode. I have also tried AOL Network Magic with the same problem.
Each computer is failing to recognize the others NWM program, no matter what I do.
I would love for this to work.
I like the program, I have had no problem what so ever, But I paid a extra $10.00 for the CD and have called, sent plenty of e-mail requesting the one I paid for and no serious reply from the company, or no CD after more than 30 day of waiting, Maybe Just download program on-line and don't pay extra for the CD.
can sum1 please send me the network magic latest beta please
thanks in advance
I have tried the new version 2.0 release and as far as I can tell it does all that is claimed. I have a network with 6 PC's and a DLINK router all of which came up fine. My big kick against the product is that each computer is continually polling the router requesting and IP. I have submitted a question on this to tech support but have not received a reply as yet. My other big kick is when you convert an existing share to Network Magic it seems to create new shares in Windows XP with a ~1 after the original share name's first 6 characters much like you would get with an OS that does not support long file names. I like the graphical network picture but object to the continual network traffic that slows down the entire network.
I tried this product called HomeNet Manager. Hands down much better than Network Magic. It has a full wireless tool built in, and none of this nonsense about unsupported routers. It is from a company called SingleClick. I downloaded it on download.com