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Hi everyone, I'm knew here.
can anyone tell me how i can check that my wireless is secure and that no one else is using my bandwith?
thank you!
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Use WPA2 and a long random passkey!
1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU BB => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU BB
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Given that even with the best encryption methods if someone guesses your wireless key they will have access it is very hard to know.
Therefore never user easy to figure out stuff, like name/address/date of birth etc
If you key looks like ejOeehqYqjqDiu12J49Wjwwkq then its probaby hard enough to guess, if it is usal2010 then change it now.
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The author of the above post is a thinkbroadband staff member. It may not constitute an official statement on behalf of thinkbroadband.
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Apart from what has already been stated go to your router settings and have a look at your DHCP Table. That will tell you whats connected by MAC Address at that time and IP address that has been allocated by the router. It should show whats not connected also.
You will probably know how many devices you have in your house that connect so its just a process of elimination. Any extra ones that shouldnt be there I would change your passphrase to a good strong one ie numbers and characters
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Problem with this is that on some routers if you use a static IP it does not show the computer
Though this is where command line tools like arp -a come into play
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The author of the above post is a thinkbroadband staff member. It may not constitute an official statement on behalf of thinkbroadband.
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Never even thought of static IP
As for command line talk you're on your own there 
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MrSaffron,
I can never seem able to connect wirelessly if I blank the SSID on my TG585 v7 - any name will do, but not broadcasting a network name just doesn't seem to work.
Using WPA2 and AES Encryption, 802.11b/g PCI wireless card and Win7 32bit.
Cheers, 4M2.
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Thanks guys.
I will check all that tomorrow. my wireless connection is WAP security enabled and does have a long weird passkey like mentioned.this should be secure enough right?
I'm, asking because BT keeps saying that i use up 7GB of my 10GB within the first week of the month! and that i exceed my 10Gb by going up 30Gb in a month which is impossible! the net is only used for emails, browsing and occasional youtube. So i want to make sure that no one is stealing my bandwith.
what else can i do to double check this?
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my wireless connection is WAP security enabled Not good enough, if you mean WEP! WEP is not WPA2!
1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU BB => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU BB
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MrSaffron,
I can never seem able to connect wirelessly if I blank the SSID on my TG585 v7 - any name will do, but not broadcasting a network name just doesn't seem to work. You have to have an SSID, but you can untick the option to broadcast it
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Thanks BatBoy,
I tried unticking the broadcast option before, that didn't work, that's why I'm trying to to do it by blanking the SSID.
I'll give it another go later though: put the default SSID back in and untick the broadcast option as you suggest and then fiddle about with the labyrinth of settings on the Win7 machine 
Currently uploading some big video files, so I'll try it later on.
Cheers, 4M2.
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TBH not broadcasting the SSID isn't much of a security measure - there are many ways of detecting a hidden SSID.
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I just wonder though how many people actually change their wireless router settings: I can detect several routers around here all broadcasting their default SSID's and the chances are their preshare keys haven't been changed either...possibly some folks are not even using wireless, only ethernet, and haven't bothered or know how to turn it off.
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Remember it is illegal to use another's wifi without their knowledge. All you have to do is use WPA with a long key and you're secure. SSIDs being broadcast help you connect and other's SSIDs helps you spot free channel space using Inssider.
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Currently uploading some big video files, so I'll try it later on.
Cheers, 4M2.
How big are the video files?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M H C
taurus excreta cerebrum vincit
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This is where tools like tbbmeter http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tools.html come into play.
Looking to see how much your youtube usage is using. Of course it can only record what your PC's are using. But it can under its advanced options, let you see what sites are being visited, and how much each site uses.
Video Streaming can be a problem as sometimes, you close the web browser or it crashes, but the flash software continues to stream video to PC, even though you cannot see or hear it.
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The author of the above post is a thinkbroadband staff member. It may not constitute an official statement on behalf of thinkbroadband.
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The router config login password should also be changed from the default.
O2 Standard (8Mbps LLU)
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"SSIDs being broadcast help...you spot free channel space using Inssider." Interesting - currently got my router set to: Channel Selection: Auto ; Region: Europe; Channel: 1.
So find a channel that isn't being used within range for the best connectivity?
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MHC,
Actually, individually not so big (50MB) but I am uploading several of them to SkyDrive. At other times up to 1GB HD video files to YouTube isn't a problem. Vimeo.com will accept up to 500MB per file from regular members and the source file is available for download by other members for one week.
4M2.
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gomezz,
Guess the router can be accessed remotely if the login default password isn't changed?
4M2.
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Exactly.
O2 Standard (8Mbps LLU)
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Do you use the wireless connection? If you don't most devices allow you to switch it off.
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Maybe better to have the local computer remember the router login password rather than type it in each time - due to key logging threats - remote assist capability turned off from the computer OS settings, bios password protected and the computer case padlocked...LOL!
Guess turning wireless off when not in use might be best?
Edited by 4M2 (Wed 20-Oct-10 12:49:36)
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All wi-fi is breakable by anyone determined and with simple equipment. WEP is a waste of time, WPA is better. If your computers are in the same room as the router is is preferable to connect by ethernet and turn off the wireless. As you are with BT I assume you have a BT HomeHub modem/router. Read the instructions and from your browser go to its home page. You will see listed all the devices currently attached wirelessly and by ethernet. If you go into the Advanced settings you can set up PowerSave which allows you to turn off the router at times of the day and night you are unlikely to use it. You can also check how much traffic has been passed through your modem. Paranoia aside, it is surprising how much bandwidth YouTube videos, the iPlayer and email attachments can consume.
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Hi everyone, I'm knew here.
can anyone tell me how i can check that my wireless is secure and that no one else is using my bandwith?
thank you! Hi, best to make your wireless network real secure�
I learnt a lot from 'Security Now' a great info website on security. http://www.grc.com/SecurityNow
Radio podcast. Bad WiFi Security. Episode #11 http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/sn/SN-011.mp3
Radio podcast. Unbreakable WiFi Security. Episode #13 http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/sn/SN-013.mp3
Radio podcast. Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Episode #14 http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/sn/SN-014.mp3
Get a long randomly produced alpha-numeric 63 characters password that you could never remember, make sure it is letters and numbers to foil dictionary attacks. (copy and paste to edit and save)
https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm
Example:
For WPA-PSK (no server)
fxq3hU3aZYM6EiFz4E9Ijche1HoJV2if8bytUuQXJxVV6svwqKzmUNHgwg9u5yX � 63 characters
For WPA-PSK (with Radius server)
fxq3hU3aZYM6EiFz4E9Ijche1HoJV2if8bytUuQXJxVV6svwqKzmUNHgwg9u5yXu � 64 characters
Edited by deleted (Wed 20-Oct-10 13:47:01)
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no i DID mean WAP. is that fine?
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no i DID mean WAP. is that fine? Did you mean WPA? What is WAP?
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no i DID mean WAP. is that fine? Doubt it! WAP is either: - Wireless Application Protocol: a method of accessing the Web from a mobile
- Wireless Access Point: a device that allows wired communication devices to connect to a wireless network
- Women Against Pornography: what it says on the tin
but nothing really to do with wireless security.
1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU BB => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU BB
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