by Mark Baker
Do you ever think “My internet is so slow right now!” Someone may be stealing or “piggybacking” your internet. If you think your safe because you have a password, you’re totally wrong. It just means it’s harder to get on for the average lazy thief. However, if I was your neighbor and I needed to use your internet because I’m cheap, I can use a “set it and forget it” free hack software and have your router hacked by the time I get home from work. So the real issue here, how do you check it?
A lot depends on your router, but for starters, shut off everything except one computer. Shut down your printers, web TV’s, all web connected smart phones, anything, yes EVERYTHING that could connect to your system except the one computer you want to use to see your router access. Then, access your router’s list of connected devices, there should be just one……… more means you’re donating internet to someone.
If you need help feel free to e-mail me directly at MySmartPhoneStuff@gmail.com with your router part number and I’ll send you the instructions for your model otherwise read on………
I’m going to refer to one of my favorite websites here it’s called “How Stuff Works.com”
from HowStuffWorks.com:
You can also use manual DHCP assignment. To do this, simply set your router’s DHCP to the manual setting and enter in each of your computer’s physical addresses. This will restrict your network to allow only those computers recognized by the router.
If the manual DHCP route isn’t comfortable for your level of computer expertise, you may want to consider generating a MAC access list which usually can be created through the browser interface of the router. Unfortunately, MAC address lists can also be bypassed by savvy WiFi thieves; nevertheless, when used in conjunction with other security methods, they’re probably enough on a small home network.
Internet monitoring software is also a viable option. Monitoring software will walk you through some of these methods and is user friendly for those who aren’t as comfortable setting up wireless security methods. In addition, monitoring software makes it easy to see what is going on with your wireless connection. Your WiFi router may have some built-in software that will help you monitor your network. Explore the user guide and help section to see if there’s a built-in application that will help.
Finally, turn off your router’s SSID broadcasting. This effectively makes your network invisible. It’s much harder to steal WiFi from a network that doesn’t appear on anyone’s radar.
Next time you suspect WiFi theft, peek out the front window and see if an unfamiliar car is parked in front of or close to your home. If so, you’ll probably find someone in the car sapping your Internet. It sounds simple, but it could be just that easy to determine if someone is stealing your WiFi...
for the rest of the original article go to http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/how-to-tech/how-to-detect-stealing-wifi2.htm
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