FAQ

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LANScan Frequently Asked Questions

I get an error running the demo, such as -

"Error creating configuration database. -3"

[Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Driver's SQLSetConnectAttr failed.

LANScan is having difficulty creating or opening its configuration database. Try the following:
From the Program Menu, look for the LANScan Program Group. In their you should find a sub group for LANScan Professional, and in there, you should find a 'Prompt for Database' shortcut.
Run it and when prompted, enter a fully qualified, new database name (such as 'c:\LANScanTest').
LANScan will ask if its OK to create the database. Answer Yes, and LANScan should start up correctly.

What about Windows XP?

LANScan works with Windows XP, 2000, ME and 98

Does LANScan support switched networks?

Yes and no. LANScan monitors packet data on the network and uses the contents to build a real time database of activity. In a switched network, not all of the traffic will pass thru the computer running LANScan, and the software will not be able to report all network activity.

LANScan still provides valuable information in switched networks - it just requires more planning in order to get the most out of the product. In a switched environment, use LANScan to :
1> Monitor specific servers or WAN links
2> Monitor switched network segments
3> interface LANscan via a switch Monitor port to report board usage statistics.

Why does LANScan take so much CPU time?

LANScan can experience some performance problems, particularly if the network traffic involves many (at least several hundred) IP addresses. LANScans' real time views that show conversations have difficulty managing these large numbers of addresses. There are tools in LANScan that can improve performance in this environment. Contact us for specific information.

I need more demo time! Can you help?

LANScan Software makes longer demo periods available on user request. Email us at info@lanscan.com, and we'll help you get your evaluation going.

What’s the difference between a ‘Network’ and a ‘Device’ object?

LANScan supports configuration of two data collection objects: a network interface and a device. A network interface is linked to a physical adapter in the personal computer running LANScan, and reports on all traffic passing through the adapter. There can be only one Network I/F per physical adapter in the PC. Events and real time data views for the Network I/F report on all traffic on the segment or connection.

A device can be created for any valid network address, including Media Access Control(MAC), Internet Protocol(IP), Domain Name(DNS) or Novell IPX. A device view reports only on traffic to/from the specific device and is used to monitor network traffic for specific addresses. You can define multiple devices which actually relate to a single network device. This might be done to support viewing different ranges and frequencies of trend displays on the real time views, for instance. LANScan maintains a table of related network names, and you can access it to see the relationship between a MAC, IP, DNS, IPX and/or LANScan device name. To do it, access a Conversation view, cright click on the device address in the conversation list and choose ‘Address Details’. You’ll get a dialog displaying all related names for the device.

I’ve assigned Network I/F objects to adapters. Why does the ‘Assign Adapter’ dialog still appear on startup?

LANScan will automatically load the ‘Assign Adapters’ dialog if:

There are Network I/F records in the database which are not assigned to any adapter.
No Network I/F records exist.
A new database was created.

Simply click ‘OK’ or press return to continue.

Why do I get so many ‘System’ events in the Event log?

System events are reported when new network addresses are found, packets are sent to the wrong address, and other network routing problems occur. You can disable this reporting in the ‘Monitor’ sheet of the System Settings dialog. Typically, you want to keep this option enabled. On a stable network, there should be very few of these messages. They can alert you to system faults or possibly a security problem.

What’s ‘System Error 802’?

LANScan uses Active Database Objects(ADO) to access the configuration database. ADO is a universal database access service supplied by Microsoft. It is sometimes installed automatically by Microsoft applications and on most systems will already be resident when LANScan is installed. Error 802 is a error returned when trying to use the ADO interface. In most cases, installing ADO will correct the problem. LANScan Software ships an ADO installation set on the LANScan CD-ROM and also makes it available for download here.

Can I monitor a Dial Up Adapter(Modem)?

Yes. LANScan will report network traffic over a modem. You can see the same information as your would see on a LAN adapter for the modem. Note that this only works on Windows 95, 98 and ME systems.