How can I block my internet?

Question

I have my computer hooked up to a router and a wireless adapter. My computer has recently been running really slow and when I pulled up my connections I noticed someone else's computer was on there. How do I block my internet so that other people living by me can't tap into mine???

I have a Linksys speedbooster router and a Linksys wireless adapter. I think they can pick up my internet because of the wireless adapter

Answer 1

If they are connecting through your wireless router read the instructions and make it a secure connection. You will have to put a password on it.

Answer 2

If you are connecting to the router using Ethernet cable, simply disable the wireless capabilities of the router by going to the administrative interface for the router. Generally the administrative interface is at http://192.168.1.1 and you'll need to enter the admin user and password (guessing these will be the defaults for your router model in your case). The option interface to disable or configure the wireless options will vary by vendor but the basics are the same. They should all include an option to disable wireless. If you need to leave wireless enabled, consider securing it by doing the following (again, common to routers from most vendors):
- Disable broadcasting the SSID and change it from the default to something a bit more obscure (so people can't guess it).
- Enable WEP or better encryption
- Set an encryption key. You'll need to know this in order to connect to the wireless router from the wireless client.
- Optionally setup an approved list of MAC addresses (a unique ID on network devices). Note that MAC addresses can be "spoofed" but your average user probably won't have the ability to do this.

** Edit **
Your neighbors are connecting to your router probably because it shows up as an unsecured wireless access point. Wireless routers ship, by default, with a fairly insecure configuration. You really need to read through the wireless setup instructions that come with your router to easily secure it. If you don't have the instructions, visit the LinkSys website and they should have the details for your router somewhere in the support or product info pages.

Answer 3

Secure your wireless router. You can set it up so that it requires a password to get on, or so that it will only allow machines that you specify to get on.

You'll need to connect your computer directly (i.e., with a cable) to your router to work on the configuration, but once you're connected it should be a pretty straightforward procedure. The configuration software will have instructions and/or do a pretty good job of walking you through it. Good luck!

Answer 4

Disable the wireless on your Router if your not using it, otherwise use the WEP Security function. what kind of Router is it?