Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?

Subject: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:18 PM

According to our ISP, either we downloaded a copy-right-protected Carrie Underwood song in June, or someone pirated our wireless signal. Ms. Underwood does not live on any of the puders, so now we are trying to "secure" our signal. After being shut down by the ISP for several days (and annoying phone calls to "resolve" this, on on endless "hold.")

Can our next-door neighbors really be coasting on our router?!?!?!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: MMario
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:33 PM

yup

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:36 PM

What he said.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: GUEST,Reality
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:43 PM

If your network is not encrypted and password protected, you're providing internet to everyone on your block. Fine a 6 year old to set it up for you if you can't figure it out for yourself.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:19 PM

Yeh, well, the signal barely reaches across rooms inside this crazy brick-walled old house; the upstairs puder is offline more often than it can stay connected-- so we never dreamed people across a wide creek could tune in. Most of the house is NOT able to get signal from the router, in fact.

At the moment only one of the puders seems to recognize the new password. We have a fine mess on our hands as a matter of fact.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: IvanB
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:45 PM

Susan, I mentioned on another thread that the landlord of the condo we've rented for the past few winters in SC has DSL service with an unprotected router, I assume so he doesn't have to deal with help requests from the weekly renters during the summer. When I arrived, I checked the router for users and had 34 people sharing my connection! Needless to say, I added security to that system posthaste! And make sure to change the default password for accessing the router so no one else can get in and change its settings

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:47 PM

Hardi is running this one, and I am pleased to see some helpful familiar faces here to aid him if he asks help. At least now the ISP has restored the signal, so we can get it on at least one puder sans router-- while we figure out the security/config mess.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: artbrooks
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:51 PM

You may want to check this stuff out. If that doesn't help with the signal strength, there are router repeaters and signal boosters available. But first, for sure, get some security on the system!

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:24 PM

Try the internet over the mains stuff. I won't use wireless on my network because I have client confidential material on my machines.

However they can be tricky on old mains installations and problematic if you need to get to one ring from another (not sure if the USA has domestic ring mains). I have also found that the high power ones fry your router after a few months, but routers are cheap on ebay and you can always keep a few in stock.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:48 PM

In my house, I have wired everything....knocked holes in brick walls, gone thru the attic.... all to run Cat5 cable so I don't even have to think about pirates. I live on a dense urban street with lots of neighbors, and it just seemed prudent.

Having been at Wysi & Hardi's, I can't imagine how anyone got close enough to do that, but with inversion layers, who knows?

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: GUEST,Reality
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:08 PM

One of your biggest issues is likely your use of the word 'puder'

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:47 PM

Having been at Wysi & Hardi's, I can't imagine how anyone got close enough to do that, but with inversion layers, who knows?

Yeah... but I think Carrie is sleeping around and didn't like getting caught.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:23 PM

LOLOL... could be! Check the sheds!

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:42 PM

She might be out there with Enid.....

Eeeeeenidddd.....

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 06:09 AM

What sort of a Stupio-Idi-osimo are you?

Why do you kiss the toes of the Carabinieros?

You are the customer. The ISP is the merchant. Even in Venice the customer is right.

You (like most of your MC self supporting ilk-kindred-spirits) love to let (big brother, ISP, govt, BNP, USA) stuff you in a tight little, xenophobic, "who me?" bottle...and set you loose in the stream of life to cast fear upon others.

Change ISP's!!!!
Surely, surely, after a decade of my bad-monitions....you Do LOG every web access. You CAN tell how you were stung?

Let them come after your "A$$" for the violation.

As a challenge - I am downloading an entire Carrie Underwood albumn. Lord only knows I will never listen to the mitten-toes in heat....but I simply want to celebrate my freedom to do so.

It is bullying events like yours that are desired and validated and published by the Electronic Freedom Foundation.

Contact them. You have a case.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: treewind
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 06:18 AM

There's a more entertaining way of dealing with intruders on your wi-fi.

See Upside down Internet (scroll down for examples of the what they'll see)

Mind you, I wouldn't know how to do that in Windows...

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:37 AM

LOL. Change ISP-- here in Upper Rural Boofoo there is only one cable vendor.

We'se not Stunodisimos-- we'se Ruralistas.

We "resolved" the stunodity of the faraway ISP "call center" folks with a friendly in-person visit to the local bill-paying office. Nine times out of ten, when we make a visit like that, the person across the counter is someone we know-- often, someone whose family member Hardi either married or buried the preceding year, or someone who has had a cheery hospital visit in the past 5 years.... They don't really appreciate their excellent hometown customer service being appropriated (and messed up) by the Big Bidness Shites who took over.

Melanie (I already admired her) was glad to offer a friendly tip on working around the confrontational crap.

This is why when the farfar call center folks sent a note to the local cable-climbers (who ALSO know us) to turn us back on, we got back on in record time. Those dudes LIKE us. :~) We'se adopted "locals" by now.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: olddude
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:51 AM

You got my number Susan, you need help you call. Yup they can and will steal your bandwidth. I went around my neighbors and fixed theirs. The neighbors on both sides of me had wireless that wasn't secure.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Amergin
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:59 AM

Is the router one that comes with the service? Usually they have an encryption key built in...

But with the problems you normally have, I would hardwire it....in fact it is faster, if less convenient...but then I have a desktop that goes no where.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 01:34 PM

Like Bill, I wired the house so I can use a wired connection in almost all rooms, but there is a wireless setup with passwords that aren't default and don't advertise that they're there. When my daughter visits with her netbook or when I use the laptop from work, they use the wireless signal. My son can use the Wii as a wireless device, etc.

I set up my next door neighbor's system (had to start with putting a couple of data cards in the very old Dell), and got so far as it up and running but it wouldn't let me reset passwords. After a long afternoon we left it be for the time being, and last time I looked, her brother came for a visit and did set the password for her. Good! I think her neighbors on the other side might have been skimming her signal.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: Old Vermin
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 05:26 PM

I have heard of someone whose landlord hadn't installed broadband placidly looking for unprotected wi-fi as a standard and reliable work-around....

One thing with passwords is the fun and games reinstating them on all machines and the router when you knock them over.

Subject: RE: Tech: Bandwidth Bandits?!?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 09:14 AM

After our Dec. 2000 housefire I ran a phone cord from the LR to the bedroom upstairs because most of the pohone jacks and phone wiring had been fried. It took several hundred feet of line to do it, and we still had unsightly wires dangling over many areas. (This was not only for the fone modem, but it was before cell coverage was available here for Hardi's overnight emergency calls.) When you rent a house you can't just drill thru walls to cut the corners, you know?

We are not going to install wired stuff here. For those who can, hey go for it, but it's not a help here.

~Susan