How can you tell if others are using your wireless network?

Question

I recently got off my dead bum and installed my wireless router so my wife and daughter can both surf at the same time and I can stop hearing them complain about each other.

I decided not to secure it (being a Linus, rather than a Bill). Is there anyway I can tell if someone else is using it, other than my download speed slowing down?

Notice I said I was a "Linus" not a "Bill". If I was worried about other people using my wireless, I would simply use my ethernet. I'm more curious if my neighbors are jumping on my highspeed connection.

They're not impacting me, as most of the servers I hit are actually much slower than my connection. I was just wondering if the guys in the VW Rabbit would start parking in front of my house.

Answer 1

Your wireless router may have a section that tells you who is connected to it at that time.

Usually it lists the devices by MAC address. Find out the MAC addresses of all the machines that you know are using the Wireless LAN in your house and then compare that list with what the wireless router says are connected.

If there are MAC addresses that aren't on your list, then sure enough.. someone else is using your service.

On my Netgear router, the list is under "Station List". On my D-Link, the list is under "Status | Wireless".

Have fun!

Annorax64

Answer 2

In addition to what Satya said, you can also lock down the router to only accept connections from approved mac addresses. There should be a security page on the web based configuration for doing this.

Answer 3

Depending on the brand you purchased your router's configuration address may be 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Please type this in your browser's address bar. You may find a link somewhere for the list of DHCP clients. This will tell you how many computers are connected to the router. If you find more computers the only best thing that you can do is to make your secured with a WEP key.

Answer 4

Thanks for answering one of my questions, now I return the favor... (yes, this really does make me nerd, doesn't it?)

You can change it so your router does not broadcast your network name. You know how when you start up your computer, it detect which wireless networks are available. You can change it so no one will ever see it broadcasted to even be able to connect to it in the first place. That's probably the safest way to ensure no one connects to your network. Look at the instructions in your router manual to "enabling/disabling SSID Broadcast."

Answer 5

if your router has lights the dsl or the internet light will flash if one of the family members aren't using it unplug the power cable from the router and teach them a lesson.

Answer 6

this is one of the security flaws of wireless internet.

You should get a hardware firewall along with a software firewall to prevent hacks ( like norton firewall)

Answer 7

use WPA not WEP and get a 'packet sniffer' @ majorgeeks.com/freeware/covert ops

Answer 8

Ask them.