wireless

[plcdude]

can my neighbor figure out I am using his wireless connection?

[RawMaterials]

1. if he could you wouldnt be using it

He would have allready set it up the right way. blocking unregisterd mac address.

[plcdude]

2. mac address

I have a dell laptop and discovered that my neighbor has a wireless connection. I am tempted every once in awhile because it is faster than my dial up to jump on that connection but would be embarrassed to having been discovered.

[The Spirit of JFK]

3. Yes

If he kind of knows what he's doing...he can monitor the connections to his wireless router.

If you are asking if he can find out it's YOU...technically it's possible, but highly doubtful. He can easily get your IP address and then try and do some lookups, if he knows what he's doing. He'll most likely just put a password on his wireless network.

Of course, seeing you stand by the window with your laptop and Pringles can antenna aimed at his house will probably give you away...

[plcdude]

4. I guess

I'd better hide the antenna.

[plcdude]

5. how do you locate

IP addresses and figure out to whom they belong?

[LibLabUK]

6. Hmm...

If your computer is asking his router (or other DHCP server) for an IP address then he'll have a list of the assigned IP addresses readily available to him, and all he'd have to do is look at it.

If your PC's named plcdude's PC, he'll see that in the assigned IP table and probably want a chat with you.

[The Spirit of JFK]

11. The router will tell you what IP addresses are connected

And there are utilities that will allow you to scan that particular IP address for open ports...If that computer is not secured and you know what you are doing, you can get into that computer, rummage around, and figure out who owns it.

My brother in law is working on a program that allows hackers into the system, but keeps forwarding them to a chain of bougus folders and directories....making them THINK they are getting somewhere. Meanwhile, the program is doing a reverse trace on them and downloading particular log files and such.. Pretty interesting, actually.

[BlueJazz]

9. HA!...you know about the pringles can..cool...

[The Spirit of JFK]

13. I've built a couple

My brother in law is one of those network security freaks and he likes to build all the hacker tools.

And my brother lives in Africa and is studying ways of transmitting a signal over a long distance (to a school he is helping to build as a side project)...so he has been studying schematics and such for a while, but started small (Pringles can).

[RawMaterials]

7. what you should do is

learn how to configure his router, walk over explain how anyone can get onto his network for free. tell him you will fix the problem secure his network. tell him you will do this for free if he lets your laptop onto the network to share the connection, then don't hog his bandwidth and everyone should be happy.

[Caution]

8. He could easily see you on his network

from there if you are a windows PC he can see the name and any description of your machine. If your machine is unsecured there are any number of ways he could get additional info about it (remotely connect to your registry and then search for "name" will usually find programs which you registered in your name). There are a number of other ways to get information that may identify you from your computer.

Even if you do not broadcast the standard windows identified info, he'll be able to see you in his router getting an IP address and be able to do various tricks to find out who you are (assuming some ability with windows or linux).

This is also considered Theft of Service and is a crime.

[LibLabUK]

10. Hmm..

"(assuming some ability with windows or linux)."

The bloke can't even lock down a WAP, what's the odds that he has even a basic understanding of windows or linux networking :)

Unless he deliberately left his WAP open for everyone to use, that's not unknown.

Either way it's pretty bad form to use someone's connection without permission.

I've got my WAP locked down (SSID Broadcast disabled, MAC address restriction, a limited number of pre-assigned IP addresses and WEP encryption), it's not foolproof but it'll stop casual connectors and wardriving.

[Caution]

15. true. but just because he is now an idiot doesnt mean he'll always be one

[The Spirit of JFK]

12. It's Theft of Service, BUT...

It's my understanding that if someone else is able to do somethig bad....like hack a server, illegally download tons of music...on YOUR network than YOU can get into trouble.

Is this true?

[Caution]

14. If you can prove this is the case

then no, there really isnt a way they can make a case for you being responsible.

[LibLabUK]

16. Hmm..

You could probably use a modified version of the 'trojan defence' that people accused of various nefarious online activities have claimed that they were the unwitting dupes of a trojan infection.

That being said, it's better to be safe than sorry.

[The Spirit of JFK]

17. Related- NH law makes it harder to prosecute theft of service

If the network is unsecured.

It defines an operator's failure to secure a wireless network as a form of negligence. According to the amendment, "the owner of a wireless computer network shall be responsible for securing such computer network."

It seems like the next step would be to hold them partially responsible for any crimes committed using their network.

Of course, if someone steals your car (even if the keys are in it) and commits a crime with it, I'm not sure the owner has any liability (although their insurance rates will certainly skyrocket). And even with some of the better security features, networks are still hackable, so I'm not sure how they will decide what is "secured" and what isn't.