Lots of options for novices

Microsoft Windows XP comes with utilities for configuring wired and wireless networks. But these utilities can be somewhat confusing for novice users.

Fortunately, there are third-party alternatives easier for inexperienced users to employ and which can make life simpler even for experienced users.

For this feature, I took a look at Network Magic, a network configuration and management utility from the Seattle-based company of the same name (it was formerly known as Pure Networks).

Network Magic comes in two versions: free and premium.

The free version offers basic network mapping, monitoring and repair tools, as well as a wireless protection feature designed to lock out intruders.

The premium version, which I tested, adds automatic printer sharing, file sharing, network health and security alerts, remote access to files and a network activity log.

Once you've installed Network Magic on all the computers in your network, you can access a wealth of information about both wired and wireless clients. The program offers a slick tabbed interface that is very easy to navigate. And I was impressed that it immediately alerted me about which clients didn't have antivirus running, didn't have a firewall turned on, and didn't have automatic Windows updates configured.

Unfortunately, Network Magic was in several instances wrong. For starters, the program didn't recognize that my clients were running Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition. Nor did it take account of the fact that my clients were running behind a firewall on my router.

In fact, the one major weak point of Network Magic is that many of its features — including wireless protection and configuration tools, and remote access of files — depend upon the user having a router fully supported by Network Magic.

While Network Magic supports a wide array of popular routers, there are several major omissions, including the Netscreen model I use.

Another weakness is that the program doesn't make it any easier to perform one of the more difficult tasks of configuring a wireless network: setting up and maintaining encryption.

The other thing I don't particularly like about Network Magic is that the premium version — which allows file and printing sharing, as well as remote access — is priced as a subscription service, with rates of $29.99 a year or $3.99 per month for use on three computers. Unlike with antivirus software, which needs constant updating, there's no obvious reason for a network tool such as Network Magic to be sold as a subscription.

The price may be difficult for some to pay — particularly considering that most of what Network Magic offers can be achieved with tools that are built in to Windows. But I did find that the program offers such an easy-to-use interface that it will be a great help to inexperienced users. And for users who don't already subscribe to another similar service, the ability to remotely access files can be a lifesaver.

You can find out more about Network Magic at www.networkmagic.com.

— Patrick Marshall