How do I stop neighbors from stealing megabytes from my wireless (satellite) service?

Hide your network name, stop broadcasting the SSID, and use WEP or better for security.

Do you know who it is that’s doing it?

I would track down anyone doing that to me and punch them in the kidneys. How much are you allowed? Our threshold is 200 MB per rolling 24 hours.

@MacBean (and for general consumption), http://blogs.computerworld.com/why_its_ok_to_steal_wi_fi

hi susan!

Pdworkin is correct.

But in case you didn’t understand HOW to do all that,
start with changing the password on the router. It most likely is “admin” and that’s how they got in.

If you’re not sure how to change the password call tech support of the company which made the router or your service provider and have them walk you through it.

Then do the rest of it.

BTW

The router is the device which ” translates“the signal into a “language” which is understandable to your computer.

hi kev honey
Thank you all. I have instructions now for changing the password, thanks to @pdworkin, but I want to answer you guys first.
@Buttonstc, I have a Belkin router. If you want to talk to Belkin tech support, a.) you’re put on hold for 45 minutes and then b.) a subsidiary company charges you something like $35/hour. So . Um. They should get something painful done to their backsides.
I’m allowed 300mb/24-hr period, with a not especially useful window between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. that allows me free download time.
@avvooooooo, I don’t know who steals it. Seems like people would steal it without even knowing they would if it’s just floating around, wouldn’t they? But there is one neighbor I’d LIKE to punch in the kidneys so if I knew she was doing it, I’d punch her even if she didn’t know she was doing it.
@Buttonstc, thanks for the definition of “router”, I have to hang my head for forgetting that sometimes I can ask Google this stuff.

Good for you. If I could avoid having to talk to tech support anytime I would certainly do the same.

Glad pd is giving you a hand with all that. I sure wouldn’t be able to. I just know that it’s necessary.

Btw: I have also freeloaded from an unprotected network at times. Not on a regular basis of course and not for downloading or anything. Mainly if I’m traveling or visiting with friends.

I don’t know if anyone read that article linked, but the way I look at it is they can’t be bothered to change the password, thenthats their problem.

Besides, there are people who share their broadband freely. Kind of like a holdover of the altruism of the hippie days.

And the way I thank them is by not abusing the generosity by using atrocious amounts of bandwith by downloading huge files.

@kevbo – that is pretty much the way I have always seen it. I use a usb modem when I am away from home so I don’t need to hunt for hot spots anymore. But I must admit I have done it in the past and figured if you don’t have a password on it, you are offering it to the public including me.

I’m afraid that you haven’t really fixed your problems. There are two different passwords needed. The first one is the one needed to get into your router. It should display something like this.

I think you might have changed it so everyone can’t get to that page. And that doesn’t help protect you from people stealing your connection.

Once you are in the page for your router (this is all done in your web browser) you need to set up WEP. It kinda looks like this.

Now your computer should ask you for the key to get onto the internet. If all goes according to plan your neighbors are now cut off.

We keep ours open. We don’t have any limits that I know of. Here are my stats for the last 29 hours. I would die with the low amount some people are saying that they have

@johnpowell: We have a window from 2–7 AM that allows us to download without it counting against our daily allotment. During the day, I save anything that needs to be downloaded or takes a lot of bandwidth to watch/listen to/etc. and I wake up to get it done during those hours. In that five-hour window, almost daily, I use ten or more times what we’re allowed for the rest of the day. It’s goddamn annoying.

@Buttonstc Changing the router password will not fix the issue, like Pd said, you have to stop the router from broadcasting.

@MacBean You in the UK ? I used to chat with a friend over in the UK and he said they charged him by the day for bandwidth??

I’m curious about something. Both my iPhone and laptop detect other networks all the time, but many of them show as locked (this requiring a password.)

I realize that hiding the network so it doesn’t even appear at all is preferable. But even the lack of a password keeps people from using the wifi at a place like Starbucks which don’t hide the network for obvious reasons.

So, I’m assuming that a password helps keep out most people. Obviously, it wouldn’t keep out dedicated hackers using a password cracker.

But, most folks’ neighbors are hardly at that level, so wouldn’t any password at all be preferable to the default “admin” ?

Or am I missing something here?

Well, the password your talking about in your OP is to actually access the router to say configure it, allow or bock or forward ports and what not, setting up a “Security Password” is different, it sets a password (usually encrypted) that allows access to use the router not really configure so to speak. SSID is usually the way to go for Wireless but WEP is out of date IMHO, there are stronger Security measures that come with routers now..

Hope that helps some..

@OutOfTheBlue: Nope, I’m in the good ol’ USA.

@MacBean I’m so glad i got RR, unlimited use of 15mbs is frigging awesome :) What do they charge for such usage? Like how much for 200mb a day? I think i would switch service providers..

Apart from not broadcasting SSID, I know some people that turn their modem off when they are not using it…Maybe one day you will get one of these on your door!

@OutOfTheBlue: The plan we have is about $60/mo. It is the cheapest service faster than dial-up that we can get here.