Internet Thieves

[r1ot]

last night around 1230 had switched off the pc around 1200 I noticed that the lights on the bt total broadband router were flickering wildly like so serious traffic was being accessed. Looking out onto the street I saw a guy standing there looking at a PDA/mobile phone.

I went out the front door and asked if he needed anything and he took one look and legged it down the street. Can't say much about him 20's ish black trousers, black coat and baseball cap all I can say for certain he is white.

Could he have been using my access? There is a WEP key but in the BT router cannot be changed as it is hard written in. So if it has been broken I can't change it so is it available to be used at any time. Is a WEP key easily breakable? Should I tell the BiB what happened? I'm not bothered about how much data he downloaded more worried about what he downloaded.

For the time being I have taken to switching off the router when I'm not using it.

[Mattt]

WEP is quite easily crackable - most ISP routers come with WPA-PSK turned on.

Are you sure you can't change it?

[r1ot]

had a look and can change it with a new key on WPA PSK that'll stop him. Should it tell BiB about what happened or will they not give a toss

[Mattt]

Perhaps report it if you are bothered, but I suspect the latter.

[Deva Link]

Aren't BT allowing anyone to access their hubs (BT Fon)?

[Parrot of Doom]

First thing I'd do would be to change the name of your router to "I know who you are".

[bimsb6]

dial into your hub via your ip address and interrogate the hub it will tell you who has used it .
unlikely the guy had accessed it prob just trying .

[r1ot]

Ok been on the hub via explorer. First of all I had a look at the users and there should be two wireless users and there was three users so that one was deleted. So there has been an extra user using my access.

I switched encryption from WEP to WPA PSK and added a 20+ security word generated with a random password generator. Which'll be changed on a regular basis.

My unknown user was kind enough to leave an IP address is there anyway I can set my router to "alarm" me when he tries to gain access so I can go out and smash his PDA to bits.

[Eliminator]

Report this. It is theft and should go on the statistics

[DAVEVO9]

I think the only way the police would get him if he were to set off a scamera on the way home?

[Ordinary Bloke]

r10t, I saw all that p0rn you downloaded last night...

[H_Kan]

I'd report it, there is a slim chance he may have been accessing dodgy stuff. If you report it, it gives weight to any arguement you may have to give in the future about proving it wasn't you!

I know it's not likely but just gives you added security.

[jshell]

Search the bbc website, there have been a number of successful prosecutions for theft in relation to this.

[DPX]

this stuff is as old as the hills , make sure you have no strange symbols outside your house
not witchcraft , try a google on wallchalking .

[havoc]

Report it...if he was doing something illegal like accessing kiddie porn it's you who'll get charged!!!

And then take any steps necessary to beef up your router security...

[arfur]

DPX said:

this stuff is as old as the hills , make sure you have no strange symbols outside your house
not witchcraft , try a google on wallchalking .

wardriving and warchalking ...

[Mr2Mike]

r1ot said:

My unknown user was kind enough to leave an IP address is there anyway I can set my router to "alarm" me when he tries to gain access so I can go out and smash his PDA to bits.

If he was using your router then his IP address is hardly going to be unique (i.e. will probably be 192.168.x.x). It was probably allocated by your own routers DHCP server

Of course if you got the MAC address...

[Mr E]

Mattt said:

WEP is quite easily crackable - most ISP routers come with WPA-PSK turned on.

Yup. WEP is trivial to break.

[Hooli]

there are options in the BT hubs somewhere for it to not broadcast the network & not to automaticly allow new stations. these should mean you can set it so not only can no-one else 'see' the network but even if they found it the hub wouldn't let them connect anyway.

at a guess the IP addy you've got for him is 192.156.1.?? probably about 67?

Edited by Hooli on Monday 19th November 13:24

[mark69sheer]

Kust as an aside here . .

I have wireless but I disabled it because I was concerened about the radio waves and my kids...

I have bought ethernet adapters that you plug into your ring main any 13amp socket will do and they link usb to your laptop or other network computer device etc.

Now I don't worry about any broadband security issues I dont worry about radio waves and I cab connect my laptop anwhere in the house...