Please - change your router's password!

[draggar]

I'm sitting at work looking at wireless networks.

Not only can I see half a dozen UNSECURED wireless networks (meaning I just click on it and I'm stealing your access), the default network name hasn't been changed.

I wonder if i should have some fun - I'm willing to bet the default password is still on there.

Log onto their router and lock them out of their own router / network.

The lesson:
1) Change the name of your network
2) Make it secure
3) Change the admin password

[Dreamstalker]

I wonder if i should have some fun - I'm willing to bet the default password is still on there.

Log onto their router and lock them out of their own router / network.

Every once in awhile I'm tempted to do that to one of the default-everything ones in my or my mom's building. Said networks have been wide open for at least two years.

In a way I wish that having an unsecured network is illegal--I've tried to educate a few people and it's clear that the only way they'd listen is if something Really Bad were to happen. Stealing access is already illegal, why do the numpties that knowingly provide it to the world get off easy?

[sms001]

Once I had some work to do as the wife and I were driving from Chicago to north Wisconsin. I finished up and just for grins, plugged the wi-fi card into the notebook. If the Mrs. wasn't so much of a lead foot that I was in and out of range too quickly, I could probably have surfed the net on private routers for three hours. One large dairy must have had a lot of repeaters across the spread, because I had their signal at 4 of 5 bars for almost half an hour.

That's why even my dinky fifty foot range router at home is wapped to the max.

[Amina516]

My husband changed our routers name to "4nic8". Original, isnt he??

[Dreamstalker]

During a period of about a month when GameStore owner was offering "free wi-fi" in the gaming area, we had a couple incidents of some wit changing the router name along those lines. I wasn't allowed to figure out who the culprit was. I was waiting for something Bad to happen, as the register and DB server were on the same network (I believe once the night manager was able to get into both computers using only the info that we gave the gamers).

Ours has MAC filtering; our ISP won't allow traffic loggers (why not? it's not like we're tampering with anything, just seeing if someone's trying to mooch within the building) but I have caught a couple kiddies trying to break in.

[Anriana]

No, please don't!

[taurinejunkie]

I consider any unprotected network to be fair game

I think stealing access should only be illegal if the network is protected.

[Dreamstalker]

Exactly. Didn't some guy get busted for "stealing" from an open network? Now that most plans are one fee for "unlimited" access, stealing wireless doesn't quite have the same bad ring to it...although I could see where someone trying to use it for torrenting/filesharing or gaming would be legitimately depriving the paying user of the lion's share of bandwidth. Hopping on an open network for a couple minutes to check email or a few forums (as I was doing after I moved into my place and before Comcast was able to get an installer out) doesn't seem like a criminal offense.

I say anyone stupid enough to leave a wireless network completely open deserves whatever happens as a result of wardriving. Basic wireless security isn't rocket surgery.

[taurinejunkie]

Somewhat on-topic with wardriving: Is there a way to rig things up so my laptop computer can use my cellphone's internet access? Like that Rogers usb thing, except without that thing. I'm thinking something like internet over bluetooth from my cell to my laptop or something similar?

[mattm04]

I have recently gone war driving in a very exclusive neighborhood in FL where hundreds of millionaires have homes/condos. The number of open networks i found was amazing. It's not like these people can hire someone to secure it.

[Broomjockey]

I think stealing access should only be illegal if the network is protected.

Fratching. It IS illegal, we do not support leeching of other people's networks, and it will not be discussed on this site. Does everyone understand? This is not a new position, and I've had to say it a few times in recent history.

[Geek King]

I have recently gone war driving in a very exclusive neighborhood in FL where hundreds of millionaires have homes/condos. The number of open networks i found was amazing. It's not like these people can hire someone to secure it.

You know, its not that hard to do enough to secure a network so that everyone except the most dedicated bandwidth skimmer will move on to easier prey. I bet you could make a tidy sum for door-to-door security. Its easy enough to figure out the probable customers, after all.

[Gerrinson]

I can pick up 5 different networks from my living room.

1. My network - Named <insert not default name>, secured, passworded, default admin name & password changed.

2. netgear - not secure, no password

3 - 5. All 3 are named linksys - not secure, no password

I know that at least one of them belongs to my landlords. I'm tempted to offer to secure it for them at my normal hourly hardware repair rate. I could use a nice credit towards rent.

[RichS]

All 3 are named linksys - not secure, no password

Well, you know the old joke: the most popular ISP is 'linksys'.

Anyway, I do tech work for a couple of churches. Got them set up with DSL service, and set up wireless routers - of course, I changed the default network name, the admin login and password, and locked them down with WPA encryption and passwords.

I had the church education director having problems logging into the router at one church. When I tested it, it was fine. She asked me why I had to have it locked down.

Well, let's see...when the church computer had the DSL modem hooked up to it directly, your teenage son put Limewire on, downloaded movies and music videos, and transferred them to his PSP (he left the Media Manager disk behind). After cleaning all of that off, and letting the priest know what happened (who immediately dictated that only staff could use the computer ), you have to ask me that?

She tells me the first time it's so her son can 'update his PS3'...yeah, I'll get right on that.

I swear, my next project is to get accounts set up in XP on that machine...and giving you the most limited access.

[draggar]

My husband changed our routers name to "4nic8". Original, isnt he??

Bad bad bad...

Exactly. Didn't some guy get busted for "stealing" from an open network? Now that most plans are one fee for "unlimited" access, stealing wireless doesn't quite have the same bad ring to it...although I could where someone trying to use it for torrenting/filesharing or gaming would be legitimately depriving the paying user of the lion's share of bandwidth. Hopping on an open network for a couple minutes to check email or a few forums (as I was doing after I moved into my place and before Comcast was able to get an installer out) doesn't seem like a criminal offense.

I say anyone stupid enough to leave a wireless network completely open deserves whatever happens as a result of wardriving. Basic wireless security isn't rocket surgery.

Even though it is "unlimited" some IPSs (like Comcast) is now limiting bandwidth so you would be hindering their access. It is just very unwise (stupid?) to leave your wireless network open - just imagine what they can get off of your computers?

I have recently gone war driving in a very exclusive neighborhood in FL where hundreds of millionaires have homes/condos. The number of open networks i found was amazing. It's not like these people can hire someone to secure it.

Ignorance is bliss - and cheap.

I can pick up 5 different networks from my living room.

1. My network - Named <insert not default name>, secured, passworded, default admin name & password changed.

2. netgear - not secure, no password

3 - 5. All 3 are named linksys - not secure, no password

I know that at least one of them belongs to my landlords. I'm tempted to offer to secure it for them at my normal hourly hardware repair rate. I could use a nice credit towards rent.

You must live in my neighborhood. I get the same.