| Author |
Message |
    
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4273
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 6:34 am: | 
|
How can I determine if someone decided surf the internet using my wireless network? |
TomD
Citizen
Username: Tomd
Post Number: 372
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 8:47 am: |
|
The easiest way is to see it as it happens. Depending on what router you have it will have a screen that shows what computers are currently connected. If you see one you don't know...well.
To see if someone used it in the past (and may not be connected anymore) would require that your router had logging enabled (which is unlikely) and, frankly, unnecessary.
Of course the best way to know is knowing whether you allow other people to use your wireless network. If it is open and unprotected then someone might have used it (perhaps without even knowing it). If it is locked down then no one else could have used it (practically speaking). |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2531
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 8:49 am: |
|
Here's a nice little tool that will tell you what IP addresses are in use on your network. if you come up with more addresses than you have computers, someone else is likely on your network.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23772,00.asp |
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1248
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 9:22 am: |
|
I have to try that tool out, it looks useful!
I think you can also determine who's on your network by looking at the admin screens of the wireless router; you can view DHCP assignments that way.
|
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1249
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 9:22 am: |
|
PS to JTA - we can get your wireless security implemented pretty easily, if you haven't already done so. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12803
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 9:57 am: |
|
It seems to me that a person or program that is only a little bit smart figures out which address to use without asking for help from the DHCP server. The result is that the DHCP server wouldn't know about the freeloader, so it wouldn't show up on the list of clients.
|
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1250
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 10:18 am: |
|
You can assume any level of technological competence you want, I guess, but if someone is making a real attack it probably won't matter anyway.
|
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 2400
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 7:32 pm: |
|
JTA, your router was set up to only allow your laptop to connect to it wirelessly, this was done by using the MAC address of the wireless card inside your laptop. I find it highly unlikely that any one of your neighbors is spoofing that MAC address, not impossible just highly unlikely.
Besides having the MAC address of the laptop as being the only address allowed to connect wirelessly to the router, the SSID isn't being broadcast, someone would have to know what the name is of the connection they wish to join, and would have to have their MAC address added in the router to be allowed access.
Why do you think someone was using your connection?
|
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4283
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 11:29 pm: |
|
Thanks all! I was actually asking because I wanted to piggyback on someone else's connection; but didn't want them to know. A few people near my friend have wireless, but she doesn't. Since I was going to be at her house today I wanted to log on the internet to do some things. I couldn't because the signal wasn't strong enough.
(I know monster. If you talk to "I" I'm sure he will tell you I asked him about this when I saw him this morning. I didn't know I would see him when I posted the note). |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page