How can I prevent my wirless card from seeing my next door neighbor's router?

[Wirehead]

I have a NetGear wireless router and a Linksys wireless USB adapter (WUSB11). I have already changed the default for the SSID and the channel. I have not enabled WEP. What else can I do to prevent my wireless adapter from seeing the neighbors router's SSID?

 

[Matthias99]

I don't know that there's any way to stop your adapter from *seeing* local wireless networks that are in broadcast mode -- that's the way the protocol works. If you don't want to use it, just don't log onto it.

If you want to keep your neighbor from seeing *your* network, then disable SSID transmission and change the network ID. Turning on WEP will also work, although if he wants to get in he could still break the encryption.

 

[Wirehead]

I forgot to say that at times my wireless card does not see my SSID and can only see the neighbor's. When that happens I cannot get on the internet. Thanks for your response.

 

[JackMDS]

It seems that his signal is better than yours that is why the Card prefers his Network.

Change your Network's IPs to an unusual band.

E.g. 192.168.121.xxx and assign a manual IP to the Wireless card.

 

[RagingBITCH]

You could also knock on his door and let him know the situation. He'd probably turn off Auto Broadcast if he knew you were picking it up

 

[RhythmAddict]

I would also change the channel your router uses, and of course the WiFi card listens on...

 

[Matthias99]

I understand your problem now -- but you should be able to set WinXP to not log onto his network. Drill down into the wireless network settings and find where it has the list of "preferred networks". If you delete his router from that list, it shouldn't log back onto it unless you manually select it again. Then, if it can't find your router it will just drop off the net instead of switching to his AP. Note that if you manually log onto an unsecured AP, you'll then automatically log onto any unsecured AP with the same name in the future unless you take it off this list!

 

[Wirehead]

Thanks Matthias99. Yes I am using Windows XP and the first thing I tried to do is to delete the SSID from the list. However, when I went into Properties and Clicked the second tab in, I could see all the routers but I could not figure out how to delete the troublesome one. Can you tell me how to do it? Thanks.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Wirehead
Thanks Matthias99. Yes I am using Windows XP and the first thing I tried to do is to delete the SSID from the list. However, when I went into Properties and Clicked the second tab in, I could see all the routers but I could not figure out how to delete the troublesome one. Can you tell me how to do it? Thanks.

Here's exactly what to do:

Right-click the tray icon for your wireless connection, and choose "View Available Wireless Networks". This will bring up a menu with all the networks in range. Hit "Advanced..." and it will bring you to Wireless Network Connection Properties, and you should be on the second tab, "Wireless Networks". This tab is divided into two frames. The top one is every network you can *currently* see, and the bottom one is all the SSIDs you have stored, and the order in which they will be used if more than one is available. Select the network you don't want anymore in the bottom tab and hit "Remove", and you should be all set.

 

[Wirehead]

OK, that is exactly what I tried to do, but the bad SSID was only in the top part of the box but not in the bottom, so that is why I could not remove it.

 

[tooltime]

what if you enabled MAC filtering in the router? not sure if you wouldn't see his sid but i would suggest you enable wep and mac to at least keep out any sniffers

 

[Matthias99]

And it's still logging onto his network automatically? Bizarre. Sorry, you've reached the limit of my wireless networking expertise.

 

[stockjock]

Cancel your ISP and mooch off his!!!

 

[Romanza]

Originally posted by: stockjock
Cancel your ISP and mooch off his!!!

Actually, I was just thinking about that last night.
We have 4 networks nearby, and I picked up on one with a desktop while I was expermenting with some settings. I ran a speed test while connected to the neighbor's network, and getting the report back it reported me as a "wide open west" client - which I am not; I'm with ATT. Does that mean that I appear to be coming from their IP address? I can see all sorts of potential for malicious behavior if IP cannot be accurately traced... am I right?

 

[Matthias99]

From the outside, it can be traced back to the router, but not beyond there (that being rather the entire purpose of NAT ). And most consumer-level routers won't monitor or record people logging onto your network, even with security and encryption turned on. So you're relatively untraceable, although someone with enough resources (like the police or FBI) would find you pretty quickly if they got interested in your activities. Of course, a better idea would be to drive to the other side of town, find an unsecured network *there*, and log in from a laptop in your car. That way they're less likely to trace it back to you, since you're not physically next door. Wardriving -- gotta love it.