Can Our Neighbors Use Our Wireless Network?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

We've had our DSL wireless for a week. Our nephew stays with us during the week and his laptop works just fine on it, without doing anything.

I walked around the neighborhood with our new LT and it stayed connected.

Does that mean our neighbors would be able to use it? And what would we have to do so they couldn't?

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

If they are close by and can get a signal then yes they can. It might be a weak signal but they can still get it. If you are concerned you can embed it to make it secure.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

One of the easiest ways for someone to steal you presonl information is through an unsecured wireless network like what you're describing. Best to lern how to put in an access code to keep unwanted visitors off you WiFi and out of your computer.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

It was very easy to secure our network using the web interface on our Linksys router. They are probably all the same. First, you should change your network id. Then you should stop broadcasting your network id. Then you should set up encryption so that you need to know a pass phrase or key in order to connect even if you know the network id.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

Yes, you need to secure your network. I can see several neighbor's networks. All are secure, including ours so we can't use anyone else's network connection.

Sue

[PigsDad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PigsDad]

Enabling the security on your wireless router is your number one priority. It should use WPA or WPA2 security (preferred), or WEP at the very least. If can't figure out how to enable it, find someone who can, ASAP. I would even consider unplugging your wireless router until you get this fixed.

Changing or not broadcasting your network id does very little for security. I wouldn't even worry about this until you get the router security enabled.

Kurt

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

After our computer crashed recently due to a worm (thanks for nothing, Norton Antivirus), we couldn't remember our access code and had to go searching through our stuff, since we couldn't get on our own network...the good news is we know it is secure.
Connie

[GeoPatSK Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GeoPatSK]

In addition to securing the network with a WEP or WPA, which will encrypt transmissions and require a password, you can use MAC address filtering to limit access to only the computers you tell the router are acceptable.

You need to query each computer that you want to have access (go to a ‘Command Prompt’; type in “ipconfig /all”; the ‘Physical Address is the MAC Address of that computer).

This will allow for encrypted communication to your approved computers only.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

OK, I'll get on it.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Here's what securing our network entailed.

1. Secure the router. That was pretty easy to follow.

2. Enter the WEP key from the bottom of the router into each computer that you want to access the network. The only instructions for that was, "simply enter the WEP Key off the bottom of your router into the appropriate fieldss as directed by your laptop user guide."

I gave up trying to figure out where the appropriate fields are and called Dell. A tech took control of our computer and did it, while I tried to follow along and write down where she went.

At the end she said, m/l, do that for any computer you want on your network.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Update regarding other computers using our wireless network.

When nephew tried to, a window opened asking for the WEP Key. He entered it and it connected to the network

He disconnected and attempted to connect again. Again it asked for the WEP Key, but this time it was already entered in the two lines (twice). So, it saved it at least that long. We speculated that it likely saves the last WEP Key entered.

We could not find a way to permanently save it on his HP LT, but I know there is a way, hidden in there somewhere. That's what I was trying to tell the Dell gal, that, sure, this stuff's easy when you do it several times a day.

We figured that he is able to connect to his Mom and Dad's wireless because they have not secured it.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Update regarding other computers using our wireless network.

When nephew tried to, a window opened asking for the WEP Key. He entered it and it connected to the network

He disconnected and attempted to connect again. Again it asked for the WEP Key, but this time it was already entered in the two lines (twice). So, it saved it at least that long. We speculated that it likely saves the last WEP Key entered.

We could not find a way to permanently save it on his HP LT, but I know there is a way, hidden in there somewhere. That's what I was trying to tell the Dell gal, that, sure, this stuff's easy when you do it several times a day.

We figured that he is able to connect to his Mom and Dad's wireless because they have not secured it.

Copy the wep and save it to each computer, That will save you heartach later

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

That, now, is precisely my question, my comment to the Dell Tech.

I went into my nephew's LT--programs, control panel, networks, etc., and could not find a place to enter a WEP Key. In mine it was Programs>Dell Wireless>

So, here's a LT. Let's say it's an HP. Tell me, step-by-step, how to save the WEP Key so that LT can always use our network.

Copy the wep and save it to each computer, That will save you heartach later

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

JIM Just save the number in your word Documents or save it in a draft in your outlook express email.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Oh.

So you are saying:

1. save it so that he can get it each time he needs to enter it in the window that opens when he tries to connect to our wireless . . .

as opposed to

2. entering it somewhere so that our network is always available to his computer so that he does not have to do that each time.

I know 2. can be done, so that if there are several computers in a household or a business they can all use a secured wireless router without logging in each time, and I really would like to find out how.

It's was no biggie to the Dell techie. It was just like, do it, like we just did yours.

JIM Just save the number in your word Documents or save it in a draft in your outlook express email.