Think I have a leech

Vegeta

Ok please excuse my ignorance in all things network and broadband related

I eircom 2meg BB and have just looked at my download history using the link given above

I do not use the router they supplied as its signal strength is crap. I use a BT Voyager router instead.

Anyway for the last few months I have been hitting 30+ gigs which to me seems impossible as I do not use any torrent sites. Casual net surfing and some xbox live is all it is used for

In fact it says that there is a computer on in my house 24/7 which is not true. Every month it says I am online for well over 720 hours. One month over 1800 hours.

So this leads me to 2 decisions

a) the eircom monitoring thing is really really bad and not trustworthy

b) I have someone connected to my broadband and using it to download a sh1teload of stuff. I am only using WEP on the BT Voyager so this could be the reason.

So if I had say, a neighbour connecting to my network how would i know. Is there any software I could use to see who is on the network at any point in time.

Sorry for being such a n00b but your help would be greatly appreciated, I just cannot see how I am downloading over 30gigs a month when all we do is internet browse and play some xbox live games on the 360

Scoobydoobydoo

I don't know much about these things either but..

Myself and a few neighbours noticed a guy hanging around outside our houses at weekends with his laptop, he had a headset on him and everything. We are certain he was stealing from some of our broadband(s).
I asked someone in I.T about it and he said they can even do this when your pc is off.

Scary

Krusty_Clown

You should switch to WPA (or at the very least change your WEP key - but if they decrypted your key the first time, they'll have no problem doing it a second time). Then have a look at your download history next month.

The BTVoyager should be able to tell you exactly what computers are connected through the router at any point in time.

Switch to WPA.

Vegeta

will do

am sorry for my ignorance but how does one switch to WPA is it just a setting I turn on in the router itself

Any online instructions or anything??

neil_hosey

Aswell as WPA, call up your Service Provider and ask them to step you through how to turn on mac address identification. This will stop a large number of exploits these w4nk3rs use.

Its not impenitrible but it will make your network alot more secure.


call the tech support of eircom or watever SP you have. They will step you thru wat to do.

To complicated to explain on here because every make of router is different sotware wise.

Krusty_Clown

Scoobydoobydoo wrote: »

I asked someone in I.T about it and he said they can even do this when your pc is off.
Scary

Of course they can do it while your PC is off. Your PC doesn't provide the internet access, it's your router that provides this access. If however, you don't have a wireless network (e.g. you use a USB modem, or only have a wired router) then they cannot gain access to the internet from your connection.

If you are an Eircom subscriber and you haven't changed your WEP key yet 9or better, switched to WPA) then there is nothing stopping anyone from gaining internet access from your connection in seconds.

if you're really paranoid, plug out your router when not in use..

Krusty_Clown

neil_hosey wrote: »

Aswell as WPA, call up your Service Provider and ask them to step you through how to turn on mac address identification. This will stop a large number of exploits these w4nk3rs use.

Its not impenitrible but it will make your network alot more secure.

MAC address filtering is the easiest of all 'security measures' to bypass.
I wouldn't even bother. If they can decrypt a WEP key, then spoofing your own mac address is just two clicks away.

kaizersoze

Wrt to your online hours, that time doesn't mean your pc was online for those hours. It refers to the time your modem was online. Your modem stays connected to the internet 24/7, unless you switch it off, whether your pc is on or not.

ambro25

Seconded re. your router should able to provide some info (IP or MAC data) on who was connected when.

Check if your router supports MAC-specific priviledges, i.e. so that your router only allows your computer(s) (via their unique MAC address) to connect to it/through it.

For what it's worth, I've only ever used WEP combined with MAC-specified access for 3 devices (laptop, desktop, NDS), for years.

Krusty_Clown

Vegeta wrote: »

will do
am sorry for my ignorance but how does one switch to WPA is it just a setting I turn on in the router itself
Any online instructions or anything??

Yes, it's a router setting, but you will also need to enter the new WPA key on each computer that connects to the router (think of it like a shared password).
The instructions should be in the manual you received with the router.

neil_hosey

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

MAC address filtering is the easiest of all 'security measures' to bypass.
I wouldn't even bother. If they can decrypt a WEP key, then spoofing your own mac address is just two clicks away.

A combination of WPA/WEP and MAC address filtering is good. Of course anyone can download a program to crack WEP.

So i guess my solution is, turn on MAC add. iden. and WPA. And if it still happens go out and smash up his car.


NB. The car with the coat hanger sticking out the window.

humaxf1

What you could do is....if you know how to config ur BT modem is...

Redo your wireless, as in changing SSID, put a hefty WPA key on it, even change you local IP scheme to a 10.*.*.* one.

Then fire up your eircom supplied modem and configure that with the old wireless settings that were in your BT. Leave it somewhere that you reckon will broadcast a good signal and check the DHCP logs which will show that someone else is connecting and freeloading your BB.

Better still, get a longggggg ethernet cable and stop using wireless.

auggie2k

Logon to the Voyager (192.168.1.1) go to Advanced > Status and check how many IP address are connected. If it's just you connected via the wireless, it should be just one - 192.168.1.33 or similar.

If there is any user names or passwords requested, they are both 'admin'.

watty

Big long random WPA key. The same at PC and Router, Write it down 1st.
Upper, Lower case and numbers all mixed. No real words.

MAC address filtering doesn't work anymore. IP changes pointless.

Vegeta

Thanks folks will give all of the above a go this evening

Just one thing though, If my router is what is clocking up the interent time then how was it 1867:41:14 in June this year.

Also I assume Eircom can be believed then on the download figures as no-one has said it could be them

hbr

Vegeta wrote: »

Also I assume Eircom can be believed then on the download figures as no-one has said it could be them

Eircom's download monitoring is slow, unreliable and it is often a week or more
out of date. However, I have found that it is reasonably accurate.

thebman

This can be used to make passwords for you:
http://www.haxial.com/products/xyzzy/

I usually enable numbers first of all which should really be the default and then I substitute some characters with symbols like $ for s or £ for E and * for i. Should also make passwords longer than the default IMO but it gives you something to generate a non-obvious password.

HeroinIsSo90's

change the name of your router to your leeches name

rahtkennades

Not sure if it was mentioned, but I didn't see it. Don't forget to make sure you've changed the admin password on your router too!

Red Alert

1) Put on WPA
2) Turn on MAC Address filter - you can ask here or check on the net for how to get the MAC's of different PC's.
3) Then turn off SSID broadcast.

watty

Please .....

2) & 3) have been no use for AGEs....

Vegeta

Ok so I hid the SSID and changed the password to a WPA one

when I was changing the password and looked at the DHCP table I could see the MAC address of 3 computers belonging (there names as computer names) to my next door neighbours

does that mean they were definitely connected to my network

techie

To secure my wireless connection I:

Disable DHCP on router
Change Default IP to another non common address
Change password on router to long strong password
Enable WPA with passkey (strong & long passkey)
Enable MAC address filtering
Disable SSID broadcast
Change SSID to long code


This keeps me the only one using my router in my area !!!

techie

Vegeta wrote: »

Ok so I hid the SSID and changed the password to a WPA one

when I was changing the password and looked at the DHCP table I could see the MAC address of 3 computers belonging (there names as computer names) to my next door neighbours

does that mean they were definitely connected to my network

Yes but not anymore!!!

JethroC

hahaha...how stupid can ya be naming your computer after yourself esp. if you're trying to freeload on your neighbours wireless connection...

Feckin plank...

Gaz

Retards ... i'd report them for theft.

Better yet, see if you can access there pc's ? \\*there ip address*\c$ and delete stuff at will

rahtkennades

Or, you could knock on their door, explain that they've been stealing your broadband for some time, and that you'd like some payment for it.

Oh come on, you never know.....:rolleyes:

far2gud

1)Make up a little leaflet explaining that connecting to other peoples networks is a crime.

2)Post said leaflet in offenders letterbox.

3)Call the Garda and explain your concern about someone acting suspiciously outside offenders residence.

4) Watch out Window as neighbour ****s him/her self

Scoobydoobydoo

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Of course they can do it while your PC is off. Your PC doesn't provide the internet access, it's your router that provides this access. If however, you don't have a wireless network (e.g. you use a USB modem, or only have a wired router) then they cannot gain access to the internet from your connection.

If you are an Eircom subscriber and you haven't changed your WEP key yet 9or better, switched to WPA) then there is nothing stopping anyone from gaining internet access from your connection in seconds.

if you're really paranoid, plug out your router when not in use..

I have wireless broadband with BT Broadband. I don't know what a WEP key is!!

BadCharlie

How to make Your BB wireless secure.

Step 1. Unscrew antenna on modem
Step 2. No more problems

If you are using wireless in your own house to supply internet to your pc's well then my above steps will not help you

Vegeta

Yeah my mam is going to monitor their bebo sites for activity now that they are disconnected

she's then going to leave sneaky comments like "Haven't seen you on-line in a while, everything alright?"