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Thread: Identifying Other User's on My network

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    57

    Identifying Other User's on My network

    hi,
    I have a small network related issue to discuss.
    i have bought a new wireless router with WPA-PSK security enabled. But i have a doubt about my neighbor trying to join hack my network.

    Is there any kind of software that can alert me if someone is attempting to join or hack my network?

    if someone joins my network does that mean they can access my computer or my account as if they were sitting beside me?

    Please help me regarding this

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3,424

    Re: Identifying Other User's on My network

    If you open your router configuration page (address will be something like 192.168.1.2/192.168.2.1/192.168.1.254/similar) and find the page listing 'DHCP clients' that will show you what machines are currently connected to the network and will likely list them by machine name, IP address and MAC address.

    It is possible to allow only certain MAC addresses to be allowed to connect to the network, if you so desire.

    However, unless your neighbour is hugely determined or you have a stupidly easy to guess encryption key (like your phone number for example) he'll be doing exceptionally well to break WPA encryption.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    3,516

    Post Re: Identifying Other User's on My network

    On a network based on Microsoft networking, there must for each work group one system acting as the book-keeper, this system is called the "Browse Master".
    When you have a network of Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP systems and you switch on these systems, one of first things done by the network-software is to check on the network for the presence of a Browse-Master. If no Browse Master is found, then a Browse Master is elected. Only a system with "File and Printer Sharing" installed can be elected to become a Browse Master. On a network with a mixture of Windows 95/98.ME and Windows NT/2000/XP systems, the "strongest system" wins the election and becomes the Browse Master.

    If you use the "Network Neighborhood" / "My Network Places" to view the list of available resources on the network, then your system sends a request to the Browse-Master, which sends back the list of the available resources back for display:and when powering on / starting up your system , you must "Logon" to the system using the Network login ("Enter Network Password" ) :
    If you press the ESC-key or click on "Cancel" then you did NOT validate your
    network Username and will not have access to the network , i.e. you can not use the "Network Neighborhood"/"My Computer Places" This "Master Browser" configuration and its election process explains now some of the "strange"
    behavior of the Network-Neighborhood:

    After switching on Windows, it can take a few minutes to elect the Browse-Master, it may help to close the "Network Neighborhood" and open it again after a few minutes.

    When a system is switched on or off later, it can take up to 15 minutes before the
    display-list of the Browse-Master is updated. If you are still not getting a proper display, then check the following:

    - verify, that all systems are defined to use the same work group.
    - only systems with "File-and-Printer Sharing" installed and something shared are displayed.
    - test the network connection

    View the "Properties" of the "File and Printer Sharing":
    By default, the setting for "Browse Master" is "Automatic", which is causing the systems to elect a Browse-Master. You can name a system to be the Browse-Master by changing the "Browse Master" value to "Enabled", but then you must on all other systems in this work group change the value to "Disabled". There are some network configurations, where you can not use the Network Neighborhood, like on some Dial up Network connections (via modem) or when using a Direct-Cable connection.

    In such cases, use "Find Computer" to access other systems.
    On networks using TCP/IP protocol, you can find out which system is acting as Browse Master. If you like to control yourself, which system is acting as the Browse-Master :

    View the "Properties" of the "File and Printer Sharing":
    by default, the setting for "Browse Master" is "Automatic", which is causing the systems to elect a Browse-Master. You can name a system to be the Browse-Master by changing the "Browse Master" value to
    "Enabled", but then you must on all other systems in this work group change the value to "Disabled".

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3,339

    Re: Identifying Other User's on My network

    The first thing you should do, therefore, is to mark every one of these computers listed by PC-cillin as "not trusted". You should also turn on and leave on the firewall on your Windows computer and tighten down the security settings so that you aren't going to be a victim next time you decide to hop onto the network and check your email.

    Here's a good place to start, from Microsoft: Understanding Windows Firewall, and Microsoft's Security Center, which is chock-a-block with useful (albeit sometimes confusing) information about improving the security of your computer.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    4,221

    Re: Identifying Other User's on My network

    I take the availability of an unsecured wireless signal as a "welcome, stranger!" sign when I travel, and I use them very frequently -- and would, if easy, send a "thank you" to the owner. Before the chain hotels figured out that free internet was a sales asset, I would often find a free signal to avoid paying some outrageous fee. I never do streaming video or music downloads on such a signal -- just email and a few browses.

    On the other hand, I would find it highly objectionable to freeload off a neighbor's high speed connection. In metropolitan areas, it's common to find screen after screen of unsecured linksys signals from a highrise apartment -- if I lved in Manhattan, I would likely hold a building meeting and get a group together to all use a single secured system.

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