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Someone using my wireless setup???

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  • 07-01-2005 9:31pm
    #1
    LFCFan
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 3,816 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    In the last couple of days I suspect that someone nearby is accessing my wireless link and using my internet connection. The only way I've noticed so far is the proxy server giving me grief because it only allows 2 simultaneous connections and has started giving me an error message to tell me this when trying to access the internet on my wireless laptop. Also, there has been hundreds of mails being sent from my machine but none of my mail programs are doing it. The only reason I knew it was happening was because of Norton AntiVirus's mail scanning dialog box popping up saying it was sending a message. Even after disconnecting the wireless AP, the mails continued to send. Is there any way of knowing for sure if someone else is connecting to my wireless network and how would they be doing it. as I have WEP setup with a key??? Even after I turn off the SSID broadcast, they still seem to be able to access it. Is there a chance it's not someone accessing it and something going on with my machine??? Thanks!


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    #2
    jbkenn
    Registered Users Posts: 919 ✭✭✭jbkenn


    LFCFan wrote:
    Is there a chance it's not someone accessing it and something going on with my machine??? Thanks!

    Looks like your machine has been hijacked

    jbkenn


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    #3
    LFCFan
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 3,816 Mod ✭✭✭✭LFCFan


    jbkenn wrote:
    Looks like your machine has been hijacked

    jbkenn
    I ran a different AV client and it found a couple of trojans. Any chance it could have been them? If not, what can I do to stop someone hijacking my machine when the wireless connection is active? Ta!


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    #4
    MrPinK
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,502 ✭✭✭MrPinK


    LFCFan wrote:
    Is there a chance it's not someone accessing it and something going on with my machine??? Thanks!
    If Norton has detected the mails being sent then it's most certainly something on your machine. Some virus has turned your machine into spam zombie. Sound like your AV has sorted it now
    what can I do to stop someone hijacking my machine when the wireless connection is active
    Most access points will do MAC address filtering for you. Make sure your wireless card is the only one allowed to connect. That along with WEP/WPA is pretty safe.


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    #5
    LFCFan
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 3,816 Mod ✭✭✭✭LFCFan


    MrPinK wrote:
    If Norton has detected the mails being sent then it's most certainly something on your machine. Some virus has turned your machine into spam zombie. Sound like your AV has sorted it now

    Yeah, I reckon it was a virus that was causing the problem. That's the last time I use NAV. It's crap. I've installed Avast instead and it picked up on the 2 viruses straight away.
    Most access points will do MAC address filtering for you. Make sure your wireless card is the only one allowed to connect. That along with WEP/WPA is pretty safe.

    I have the DHCP server setup so it only gives an IP to my laptop, but if someone already knew the IP range and netmask, wouldn't they be able to just give themselves a static IP address in the same range and be able to access my network?


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    #6
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 91,880 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    LFCFan wrote:
    I have the DHCP server setup so it only gives an IP to my laptop, but if someone already knew the IP range and netmask, wouldn't they be able to just give themselves a static IP address in the same range and be able to access my network?
    Yes.

    The only way to avoid that would be to setup something like
    Both using a netmask of 255.255.255.252
    10.0.0.1 PC
    10.0.0.2 AP

    then a third IP would not be able to connect, and if they connected using 10.0.0.1 IP then you would get an error that it was already in use.

    MAC filtering will stop most windows users, it's a one-liner to change the MAC address on the fly in Linux etc. but use WEP too.


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