I have a wireless router and suspect that someone is stealing a connection from it. How can I tell for sure?

Question

I have a Netgear wireless router with the blue lights circling on the top. Usually there's just one or two lights constant (we have one computer using the wireless connection), but at times there are three constant lights. My computer is really slow too. Is someone stealing my connection? How do I found out who it is?

Answer 1

To be sure you could call your internet provider and have them monitor your traffic when you will not be using it.


Ten Steps to a Secure Wireless Network
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,844020,00.asp

Improve the security of your wireless home network
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/wireless.mspx

Set up a secure wireless network using Windows Connect Now
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05june13.mspx

How To Secure A Wireless LAN (WLAN) | Daily Wireless
http://www.dailywireless.com/features/secure-wireless-lan-021507/

Setting Up a Secure Wireless Network
http://www.intranetjournal.com/articles/200307/ij_07_10_03a.html

Answer 2

Some models of routers will show the pc names for all pcs that have been issued a LAN IP address. This may help, but it may not as the pc may have a name like "kitchenpc".

Here is what you should do:

1. Read the router manual sections in regards to security and understand them.
2. Implement encryption (WPA if you have it and use a preshare key that is at least 12 characters long, a mix of numbers and letters with upper and lower case letters and no words or recognized pattern in the preshare key).
3. Change the ssid to an ssid that has no hint of who you are or where you are.
4. Implement MAC address validation and enter the MAC address of all approved wireless devices.

Always use a wired connection to the router when you configure or change the router.

Also, before you do this, go to the Netgear site and see if they have a newer firmware for your router. If so be sure to download it to your pc and then upload it to your router as this makes it work better.

Be vigilant! Kick off the freeloaders. They are hackers and you don't want them on your network.

Answer 3

For extra security:

1. Don't announce the SSID of your wireless router.
2. Use WPA2 if you can. WPA-PSK if not, or WEP at the least.
3. Put the MAC addresses of all of your computers into the MAC routing table of your wireless router and ONLY ALLOW from the addresses in the table of the wireless router.
4. Turn the SPI firewall of the wireless router ON.
5. Filter anonymous or incomplete packets.

Answer 4

The lights you see don't indicate how many users are using your wireless connection. The primary way you can tell is that your internet (not your computer) is going very very slowly. One or 2 people in your neighborhood checking their email wont pose a significant change in your signal strength but lets say you have 10 teenagers downloading feature length films, then you have a more noticebable lag on your own connection. But the best way to prevent against this is to simply set a password for your connection, then no one can hop on it.

Answer 5

Well usually depending on your wireless router they have a customer service number and you can usually set up a private connection so people who only have the password you set can access it. At least that's how mine is. Otherwise just ask the customer service rep. I believe they can find out and tell you.

And just a heads up i had netgear also and wasn't too impressed with there customer service, so i took it back to the store and bought linksys. Very good.

Answer 6

Be assertive yet ask them with politeness, so which you get a straight away sure or no if no longer, bypass on your close by library and use a working laptop or computing gadget there until now and after artwork if this is advance right into a necessity for you. additionally at the same time as doing that determine you're saving income the time of that element to have the skill to attend to to pay for a sparkling modem. Or look into ebay or your close by pawn shops to confirm in case you will get a powerful deal on a suitable modem

Answer 7

One of the sections in your router configuration utility should show you which devices are connected to your network. If you rule out your own computers' MAC addresses and more remain, those are the people stealing your signal.

As others note, set up WPA and MAC filtering to secure your network; you might also turn off the SSID broadcast.

Answer 8

You need to encrypt your router to stop people from steeling your bandwidth.

The instructions should be with your router in the manual if you can't figure it out call the manufacturer they will walk you through it.

I needed to do that with mine because it didn't work the way the instructions told me to do it. It didn't like IE7 but we did manage to get it done.

Once it's encrypted with a password they can't use your connection without your password so make it something unique that can't be guessed.

I don't know how to tell if it's being stolen but I just told you how to prevent it from being stolen from now on.

Answer 9

do you live in NJ? I'm sorry, I'll get my own soon.