wireless connections next door

[luvvbuzz]

so i have a wireless router, but i accidently set it up at first to on the wrong connection. it was running on my neighbours wireless network. i didnt realise this until i did a speed test and saw the isp name on my results (my isp wasnt on it lol). anyway it was like that for an hour until i realised and changed it back to my own connection. question is, will my neighbour know that i was on his connection as dont wanna get into trouble over a genuine mistake?

[cim]

Yes, you will spend the rest of your life in Jail!

No, not likely that they would be aware of it.

Besides, they and you, should have security setup to prevent it.

[Pinstripes23]

I see this happen all the time. It is the responsibility of your neigbor to set up the security on his router. Anyone can jump on his connection if they want to. And TBH if your neighbor didn't set up security to begin with I doubt he could figure out any way if anyone has been on his network.

Just forget about it. You're not the only one in the world to have done this. Just secure own network cuz the same thing can happen to you.

[noki]

no. but I suppose if he REALLY wanted to know what IP addresses are accessing his router he could have his ISP do a trace on all "hits" going back weeks, months, etc.

but then he would only have an IP address, not who is USING that particular one...you.

that's where the FBI's forensic division come in....

[luvvbuzz]

ok thanks for your replies, looks like i wont need to worry about it. cheers

[luvvbuzz]

that's where the FBI's forensic division come in....

the fbi, in the UK? how so

[psx_pirate]

Even if he knew that another pc was connected to his network he would only be able to see the ip address of the 'rogue' pc ... as all pc's connected to a network use the same internal range of ip adresses he will have no way of knowing who actually owns the pc that was connected ... it could belong to a stranger who chose to sit outside his house with a wireless laptop for all he would know ... or it could be someone with a wifi enabled mobile phone ...so even if he knew someone was connected there's absolutely no way he could know who that person was

[rubberman]

not only do i turn WEP on, i also limit the IP address's my router gives out. I have 3 computers plus the playstation that gets an IP, so tell the router to only allow 192.168.100,.200,.300,.400 which all are DHCP'd of the MAC address of those machines.

[John]

im with rubberman, I have 3 pc's attached to my router, with only all 3 machines mac address being able to access router. did you here the news today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6565079.stm

[AlecWest]

I admit that my wireless router offers and unprotected connection. However, I know my neighbors, hehe. Most of them are older than me and none of them own computers. I always get, "Could you check the Internet for me" requests from them.

And, in two weeks, I'll be getting a new next door neighbor ... who is also older than me, single, and computerless. It's true that people rich enough to buy an expensive outdoor wireless antenna might be able to pick me up ... but in my neighborhood, no one is that rich (and I'd see such an antenna and recognize it). However, I will be password-protecting my router - - - one of these days.

[SCDVD]

AlecWest, Have you ever heard of a chalker? A chalker is someone who cruises around with a WiFi detector looking for "live" WiFi connections. When they find one, they mark the curb or street with an identifying mark (usually with chalk) indicating the live connection. This is pretty rampant in some neighborhoods and not in others. But if you see an unexplained chalk mark by the street ......

[AlecWest]

im with rubberman, I have 3 pc's attached to my router, with only all 3 machines mac address being able to access router. did you here the news today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6565079.stm

This is kind of scary in a different sort of way. Since when is it a violation to use a laptop in a parked car? They could be using a word processor or playing a video game. Jeez, around Portland State University, you see people doing that all the time. Really, this is the first paragraph of that article:

Neighbours in Redditch, Worcestershire, contacted police on Saturday after seeing a man inside a car using a laptop while parked outside a house.

If this person was parked on private property, it would be different. But if the person was parked next to a curb on a public street ... ??? In Portland, Oregon, cops would have asked the caller, "Is he parked in a public space?" And if the caller said "yes," the cops would say, "So ... what's your point?"

With MetroFi, my entire city is slowly becoming one big WiFi "hotspot." Cops have neither the time nor the inclination to go out checking everyone sitting in a car with a laptop on the remote chance that they're "piggybacking" off someone else's unprotected network - when many other legal possibilities exist. It would be as wasteful as trying to hand out speeding tickets at Portland International Raceway. I guess it all depends upon where you live.

[RabidDog]

They could still find out who was using the internet connection by find ing out what sites were visited, and cross-checking any auto -log-ins. A bit CSI but, in the war on Terror, who knows.. yes two geez to be penalized for using unsecured wireless..

Since when was it a crime to have a mobile on a plane? or a small bottle of shampoo? or nail clippers ? Flying s the crime, pollution is the offence, security's the solution.

[AlecWest]

They could still find out who was using the internet connection by find ing out what sites were visited, and cross-checking any auto -log-ins. A bit CSI but, in the war on Terror, who knows.. yes two geez to be penalized for using unsecured wireless..

I have a scathingly brilliant idea. It should be made a crime to use a router whose signal isn't protected in some way (by password, by MAC address). That way, when the cops came out, they'd arrest the router owner.

[AlecWest]

AlecWest, Have you ever heard of a chalker? A chalker is someone who cruises around with a WiFi detector looking for "live" WiFi connections. When they find one, they mark the curb or street with an identifying mark (usually with chalk) indicating the live connection. This is pretty rampant in some neighborhoods and not in others. But if you see an unexplained chalk mark by the street ......

Well, that wouldn't be indicative of a WiFi chalker. Our cops go out and, if they see a car that's been parked in the same place too long, they chalk either the tire or the street in front of the tire. If it hasn't moved in over a month, it's towed away as a derelict car.

FWIW, one day I came home from work to find my 1972 Buick (in need of repair) gone. It had been towed away as a derelict. When I got it back, I parked it on my side lawn - until I finally got the money to pay for the timing chain and gears it needed.

But it's interesting you bring that up. I've been thinking of writing an article for our local "Willamette Week" newspaper about unprotected business nets. The thing that inspired me to do this was when I went to buy my HP laptop at CompUSA. All their computers on display were WiFi connected to demonstrate. But (snicker), they were piggybacking off the unprotected net of an arts/crafts store next door.

Anyhow, my laptop is WiFi capable and I have an auto power adapter for my car to plug it into. I've been thinking of going around and parking in the publically available lots of "businesses" to see who is protected and who isn't ... seeing if I can get my findings published ... and then, hehe, calling my lawyer.

[AlecWest]

UPDATE - That was easy (grin). Using my desktop computer which has a direct connection to the router, I followed instructions for password protecting my router. There were two parts - disabling the broadcast of my SSID - and setting a password. For some reason, I was unable to disable the broadcast of my SSID. However, the password I set works like a charm. When I asked to connect to my net, I was prompted to enter a 13-digit password and prompted to confirm it by entering it a second time. Also, I enabled 128-bit encryption of my signal between my laptop and the router. Anyhoo, when I entered nothing in the password area, I got a no-connect warning ... but when I entered and re-entered my password, my laptop showed some kind of routine going on for about 2 seconds and then the "Connected" light came on. Yay!

So, now I'm protected ... at least more than I was before.

The downside is that my laptop has no provision to "remember" my WiFi password (sigh). So, each time I use my laptop, I'll have to enter my 13-digit password twice (double-sigh).

[rubberman]

AlecWest, Have you ever heard of a chalker?

i thought those people were called wardrivers?

[AlecWest]

I did some checking around and found that "wardriver," "chalker," and a number of other phrases are used to describe a person who does this. So wardriver and chalker mean the same thing. Just depends on what term a person wants to use.

BTW, if you want to brag about being one:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/60f0/