How Do You Find Info About a Wireless Network?...

WetDaddy

I've just moved into a new house and can find no less than THREE WLANs about different parts of the house...

Two of them, I'm almost certain, belong to the neighbours on either side of me (which I thought a little strange, since we're a detached house and the distance between the houses is fairly substantial). However, there's a third network which I can connect to (and get web access, etc.) and I can't figure out who the hell it belongs to.

There's probably a fairly simple way, but I'm kinda new to wireless networks. I can tell you that the SSID is relatively nondescript (i.e. it's of the form "1234 5678") and that the IP address I have is a 192.168.1.XXX which I know is reserved for private networks.

Is there anyway of doing an SSID WHOIS or something? Or can I ping my host somehow, even to just get an IP? I'm running Network Stumbler, and it tells me the router is Farallon. But that doesn't really tell me much :-)

Oh and other info is that it's operating at 11Mbps and it's an access point (which stands to reason).

Any ideas?

Cheers guys,
-Seán

Morgoth

That's another neighbour most likely. That SSID and assigned IP address are consistent with the eircon netopia wireless router.

Try connecting to that particular network and typing 192.168.1.254 into your web browser. If the person hasn't set up their router, you'll be able to connect and change configuration settings if you wish (that's naughty though!). :eek:

Also, try something like OpUtils for finding out stuff about a network. Or ethereal is a good tool to tell you what's happening on your network. Plenty more out there, just google around for network analysis tools.

tomk

<analogy>
When I look out my front window, I can see five cars. I'm pretty sure they belong to my neighbours, but I was able to get in and drive around in one of them. I don't know who owns it, so I didn't bother asking permission.
</analogy>

Get your own network, and stop leeching.

WetDaddy

<analogy>
When I log onto boards, I read a post on boards about a guy who wants to find out about a wireless network he can connect to. It didn't say in his post that he's leeching off the network, but I assume he is and I decide to post something accusatory about him as a reply.
</analogy>

Tomk, FYI Netsource are installing ADSL for me this week. This reply (and the original post) were written in work. And I didn't leech anything off anybody: When I connected to the network, I checked to see if I'd web access. That was it. I'm an amateur networking enthusiast, and I'd like to know more about wireless things.

Don't assume anything and don't go around accusing people of things without being able to back it up.

Oh, and Morgoth, thanks for the advice. I'll check out those progs...

tck

use ettercap, sniff their email passwords and then find out*

* i don't condone such activities but its a sure way to really know!

causal

deathfunk wrote:

And I didn't leech anything off anybody: When I connected to the network, I checked to see if I'd web access. That was it. I'm an amateur networking enthusiast, and I'd like to know more about wireless things.

In the interest of learning - does anyone know if it is illegal to connect to someone elses wireless network?

I don't mean to spark a moral discussion about hacking (in the benovlent sense of the word), cracking (the malevolent), personal liberty etc. I'm just curious as to the actual legal situation - if there is one defined.

deathfunk - have you considered letting the person know their network is open (assuming you find out who it is).

causal

tomk

deathfunk wrote:

Tomk, FYI Netsource are installing ADSL for me this week.

Glad to hear it.

deathfunk wrote:

When I connected to the network

Why exactly did you connect? Just because you could?

deathfunk wrote:

I checked to see if I'd web access.

Which you did not. The owner of the wireless network has web access.

deathfunk wrote:

That was it.

Again, glad to hear it.

deathfunk wrote:

I'm an amateur networking enthusiast,

As am I.

deathfunk wrote:

and I'd like to know more about wireless things.

Also an objective of mine, but not one I choose to progress by making unauthorised connections to networks belonging to other people.

Big Nelly

I have wireless network installed in my house but when setting up PC's it also picked up 3-4 other network in the surrounding area....I didnt check any of them to see if I could log on but I have shut mine down so nobody will be able to use it and kill my bandwidth....I must say ur neighbour must be abit new to this....if you where a bold boy you could go on and download programs all day and night!!! but that would be bold!!

WetDaddy

Tomk, if you've an interest in wireless networking, then you'll know that a laptop with a PCMCIA card (which is defaulted to being on) running Netstumbler will locate a network and attempt to connect to it. I didn't look at the networks available and think "I'll try to connect to all of them and see what I can get for free".

I'd also like to add that I didn't post here to have an argument over networking ethics and moral semantics, so I am now ending this conversation with you.


BigNelly, you're right! I'm guessing that most ISPs install / give instructions for routers and exclude to turn on encryption. According to NetStumbler, one of the networks is indeed encrypted. Once I get to know my neighbours, I'll take Causal's advice and let them know about it.

Morgoth

I dunno what sort of instructions ISP's ship with their equipment but it's insane the way wireless routers are set up by default. When you log in to the configuration on the Netopia model that eircom ship, you have to go into "Expert Mode" before you can set any encryption or restrict MAC addresses and you're actually warned not to go near these settings unless you know what you're doing.

I mean, the worst you can do can be fixed by a quick hard reset. The best you can do is secure your network, yet most people will be put off by the terminology and warnings... Surely it would be better to set up the security by default and provide the password in big letters inside the box, force people into using encryption rather than, well, dissuading them almost.

osmethod

Did you try the program - netstumbler -?

Pataman

Slightly off topic. I have activated mac filtering but no encryption yet. I presume this is just as good.

seamus

Pataman wrote:

Slightly off topic. I have activated mac filtering but no encryption yet. I presume this is just as good.

It's a help, but anyone with MAC cloning software can dupe their way onto your network.

liamo

causal wrote:

In the interest of learning - does anyone know if it is illegal to connect to someone elses wireless network?

It would depend on the circumstances.

If you had your WiFi enabled laptop set up to connect to any available Access Point and pick up a DCHP IP address and there was a nearby unsecured Access Point giving out DCHP IP addresses then the automatic connection to the network is nobody's fault. However, if you become aware of this connection (or if you deliberately establish the connection) and consume the network's resources (eg Internet connectivity) or if you decide to have a stroll around their network or download any of their property then this would most definitely be illlegal.

Regards,

Liam

robinph

Last time I was back at the parents over xmas I was able to pick up about 8 different neworks from different parts of their house. Only one of them had any security turned on at all.
I then went round to some of the neighbours that my parents knew and fixed their networks for them. I then gained from this as I could them pick up a better signal from my parents house (with the network owners permission of course), and I earned a few bottles of wine and some beer out of it.

dl

Is it possible that you are picking up one of the Eircom FREE connections, there is one from the Grand Hotel in Malahide (I picked up this one only yesterday myself, when in Malahide) and lots more around the city and country. Check out eircom.net for full listing.

Rew

Pataman wrote:

Slightly off topic. I have activated mac filtering but no encryption yet. I presume this is just as good.

MAC addresses can be changed easily enough but it keeps the casual user's out. Also any data (like the sites you look at) that's unencrypted will be viewable to anyone.

snappieT

I'm running Network Stumbler, and it tells me the router is Farallon

That's the brand of the Integrated Wireless Router & Modem from Eircom. Definately private, since the hotels buy big dirty Cisco ones