Tricks of networks systems
How To Check Unauthorized Access to Wi-Fi
Wireless networks are gaining popularity with each passing day and
more and more people are getting rid of the old Ethernet cables and
getting a wireless network installed. Ethernet cables are considered to
be the safest way of communication because no one can illegally hook a
cable into your router and steal your network resources, but when it
comes to wireless networks this can be easily done if proper measures
are not there. Wireless signals are broadcast equally in all directions
and anyone who somehow knows the password of your wireless network can
easily access the Internet and your network without you even knowing the
same. In this post I will let you know how to identify if someone is
accessing your home wireless network and how to make it secure again.
Every router has a few LEDs on its front. One of these LEDs is for
the Internet. This light stays solid if Internet is not in use and it flashes if information is going or coming from the Internet. The easiest and quickest way to check if someone is connected to your router or not, is to check the status of Internet LED on the router after turning all your home computers off. If it is flashing then somebody is definitely connected to your router and is using your resources.
the Internet. This light stays solid if Internet is not in use and it flashes if information is going or coming from the Internet. The easiest and quickest way to check if someone is connected to your router or not, is to check the status of Internet LED on the router after turning all your home computers off. If it is flashing then somebody is definitely connected to your router and is using your resources.
We mostly name our computers by our own name so if the person who is
illegally using your network has also named his computer as his name
then you can even come to know about the same. Let us see how.
Step 1: Open the Router console by typing ‘http://<IP of your
default gateway>’. This will take you to the router set-up page also
known as router console.
Step 2: Enter the username and the password and enter into the console.
Step 3: Go to the Status section of the router. It may be named as
something else in different routers but you need to look for it. Here in
the status window router displays all the devices which are currently
connected to the router. You obviously will identify your home devices
and computers and can easily make out the one which is not in your
house.
Step 4: This list displays the IP address, MAC address and even the
computer name which is connected to the router. So this way you can come
to know about the name of the computer or person who lives nearby and
is illegally using your computer.
Fix the problem
Once you know that someone is using your network then you can take
measures to stop the same. First would be to change the security key and
make it hard to guess. This will at once disconnect the unauthorized
computer and he will not be able to connect again until he knows the new
password. Second best thing will be to note down the MAC address from
the status screen of the router and block the MAC address completely in
the router. This ways even if the person knows the security password,
still he would not be able to connect to your network.
