Snarf
Dystopia
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Is there an easy way to tell if there is anyone connecting to my wifi.
I use a Mac, the router is a Belkin and is locked/WPA protected. But as I understand those connections aren't terribly hard to compromise.
Sometimes my internet is real slow is why I ask.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Typically, you can access your home router administration panel internally on your home network at http://192.168.1.1/
I have a Linksys and not a Belkin, but I imagine there are similar types of log files that you can review to see how your router is being accessed.
If you're really concerned that someone is using it, change the password and see if that makes any difference.
My experience with both WOW and Time Warner over the years is that bandwidth speeds fluctuate from time to time, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's just service related issues.
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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Usually there is a option somewhere that lists connected devices. You should only see your computer's name.
http://en-us-support.belkin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22/kw/find%20users
Restricting access to your network by using MAC Address Control is an almost sure way to keep people out, even if they had your password.
WPA is fairly good protection, if you have WPA2 it would be better. Changing the password to connect to your WiFi occasionally will keep out everyone except the FBI (because they are the only ones who would have the time to keep hacking in).
10sun
Columbus, OH
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You should have a DHCP table that you can look at on your router's page (as you have a Belkin, the default is: 192.168.2.1, not 192.168.1.1 as previously mentioned).
You should only see the same number of internet connected devices as what you have going in your house (not sure if you have a printer, network storage, Wii, ipod, etc).
When your connection slows, check your wireless connectivity.
If that is dropping, then you have interference from something.
Usual culprits in my experience are microwaves & cordless phones operating on the 2.4ghz range.
JimL2
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alternatively you could run wireshark in promiscuous mode and see if there's any unexpected traffic on your wifi network, but that's a pain to explain how to do and probably more work than just checking the DHCP tables/instituting MAC whitelisting like others already suggested.
honavery
Arizona
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Like GW_Justice said, WPA and WPA2 are fairly good protection, and anyone short of the FBI is probably not hacking into it.(especially just to get some free internet) It's more likely a problem with your ISP. If your internet is slow for long periods of time, try plugging directly into the cable modem (DSL/whatever) and see if it's still slow. You might need to contact your ISP to report a problem.
You might also try switching channels on the router, I know that helped on my Belkin router. Although my problem was more of a dropping connection problem not a slowness issue.
Snarf
Dystopia
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Thanks for all the advice. It is that WPA-2 at home so I guess someone, outside of the FBI probably isn't using it. I think I'll go ahead and change the password too.
Every once in a while I'll be playing Black Ops online and it shows my connection as being horribly weak when it generally is full bars strong. I'm about to hit my 3rd prestige damn it!
bastardsuperstar
ゴジラ
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my big wifi problem recently is that when i got my new router about a year ago i never bothered to change its "name" or any of that, cuz at the time we were only using it wired, but in the last year we've added a handful of wifi devices to our household, so i figured i should really make sure the whole thing's on lockdown. so i went back into it, discovered i actually had set p a password before, but it still showed up as "netgear" in the list. so when i renamed it something more personal, i now have my router show up twice in every list. once as my renamed one with a password, and the 2nd is still showing up as "netgear" but has no password, simply open access. i've searched through forums and looked for ideas but i cannot get the 2nd listing to go away . . .
thoughts?
groundrules
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bastardsuperstar wrote >>
my big wifi problem recently is that when i got my new router about a year ago i never bothered to change its "name" or any of that, cuz at the time we were only using it wired, but in the last year we've added a handful of wifi devices to our household, so i figured i should really make sure the whole thing's on lockdown. so i went back into it, discovered i actually had set p a password before, but it still showed up as "netgear" in the list. so when i renamed it something more personal, i now have my router show up twice in every list. once as my renamed one with a password, and the 2nd is still showing up as "netgear" but has no password, simply open access. i've searched through forums and looked for ideas but i cannot get the 2nd listing to go away . . .
thoughts?
isn't there a lil' reset button that you can push and hold to reset to factory settings? maybe just start fresh? i dunno.
rus
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groundrules wrote >>
bastardsuperstar wrote >>
my big wifi problem recently is that when i got my new router about a year ago i never bothered to change its "name" or any of that, cuz at the time we were only using it wired, but in the last year we've added a handful of wifi devices to our household, so i figured i should really make sure the whole thing's on lockdown. so i went back into it, discovered i actually had set p a password before, but it still showed up as "netgear" in the list. so when i renamed it something more personal, i now have my router show up twice in every list. once as my renamed one with a password, and the 2nd is still showing up as "netgear" but has no password, simply open access. i've searched through forums and looked for ideas but i cannot get the 2nd listing to go away . . .
thoughts?isn't there a lil' reset button that you can push and hold to reset to factory settings? maybe just start fresh? i dunno.
Not sure if I've ever seen consumer gear without the "nuke the site from orbit" button some place...
On the other hand, are you sure it's your "old" device and not some of your neighbors gear?
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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You should be able to connect to both of them and then right-click on your wireless connection in the taskbar (assuming your using Windows config), select Status, and then click the Support tab. Click Details and then check out the "Physical Address" line item. This "MAC Address" is unique to all devices on the Internet (or should be). If the two Access Points have the same Mac, then it's the same device and there is a problem with it. If not, then its someone elses devices.
Alternatively, unplug your device from power. Did it go away?
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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bastardsuperstar wrote >>
so when i renamed it something more personal, i now have my router show up twice in every list. once as my renamed one with a password, and the 2nd is still showing up as "netgear" but has no password, simply open access. i've searched through forums and looked for ideas but i cannot get the 2nd listing to go away . . .
thoughts?
You mean that the new name you gave your router is showing up on your computer and other wifi using devices, along with the old name correct? On a windows machine there is a page called "manage wireless devices" that allows you to remove old connections from the list.
futureman
Grandview Heights
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rus wrote >>
groundrules wrote >>
bastardsuperstar wrote >>
my big wifi problem recently is that when i got my new router about a year ago i never bothered to change its "name" or any of that, cuz at the time we were only using it wired, but in the last year we've added a handful of wifi devices to our household, so i figured i should really make sure the whole thing's on lockdown. so i went back into it, discovered i actually had set p a password before, but it still showed up as "netgear" in the list. so when i renamed it something more personal, i now have my router show up twice in every list. once as my renamed one with a password, and the 2nd is still showing up as "netgear" but has no password, simply open access. i've searched through forums and looked for ideas but i cannot get the 2nd listing to go away . . .
thoughts?isn't there a lil' reset button that you can push and hold to reset to factory settings? maybe just start fresh? i dunno.
Not sure if I've ever seen consumer gear without the "nuke the site from orbit" button some place...
On the other hand, are you sure it's your "old" device and not some of your neighbors gear?
Every consumer router I've seen has a factory reset button somewhere. Sometimes it's just a button on the back that you have hold for 5 seconds or you have use a paper clip.
Also, it seems like a lot of the time now manufactures force you to use a setup utility to setup basic configurations. For example, Linksys (for e1000,e2000,e3000) makes you use "Cisco Connect". By default these routers have two networks, one guest and one restricted. You cannot disable guest access from the router admin web page, you must use Cisco connect software. If you modify any setting using the admin web page, you cannot use the Cisco connect software and you have to do a factory reset in order to disable the guest network. What a pain!
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