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Originating a wireless connection

I have a bit of a strange problem.....

My wife has just bought a new laptop with a wireless connection...
And she was happily using it last night until it dawned on us that I hadn't switchover the new wireles router yet....

After a small 2 mins looking it appears that there are 2 unsecured wireless connections in my area...Both have a very good signal in my house.

My question is this.....
Is there any way to find out where a signal originates??

I'm willing to go knocking on doors as I'm friendly with most of the people in my local area but I don't want to advertise to the few who may take advantage of this lack of security.

In fact I think this may already be known as I have seen at least one car that parks up by the side of my house with a laptop and sticks around for about a half hour and never gets out (Sounds fishy). I always thought him to be a local rep or something......One that does his notes at the end of a route.

Thanks
 
I have no idea how you would go originating a wireless signal, unless you were perhaps to wander around with your wireless lappy and estimate from signal strength. But that's likely to get you noticed and into trouble. You could always try and work a conversation around to the subject.

As they are relatively strong, next door neighbours are most likely.

The reason I'm commenting is that the "unencrytpet wireless hotspot" explanation might explain a few odd happenings around my neck of the woods with cars parked (at regular times) with occupants who seem to be on laptops.
Now they might not seem so odd.
 
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whatever the case tho, as soon as one see's that its definitely time to encypt their wireless the owners of the wireless equipment dont wanna be arrested for 1. ppl hacking useing their wireless (l know alot of guys who used to do that) and 2. the worst case kiddy fiddlers sadly... not something l like thinking or even talking about but its a certified fact that ppl like that will use open WAN's to access their sick fetishes instead of using their own sys at home...

with that said l'll end here dont wanna get into why l hate ppl like that heh
 
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I may be talking utter rubbish here, but I've started so I'll carry on. As far as I know there are programs about that will show the IP addresses of other computers on your LAN and this is effectively what you are on - just using the LANs router for internet access. You should be able yo find out what other IP addresses are in use at any particular time, bearing in mind these will change if DHCP is being used. As far as I can remember there is then a "Net Sys" command of some sort that allows broadcasting a message to local addresses.

If I am right in all my assumptions and recollections this should enable you to contact your "provider" of wireless access.
 
... actually, its the users concern to secure his own wireless... the ISP only provide you the service and unless otherwise stated you are in charge of your own equipment, now securing wireless can be a lil annoying since lve never secured mine before (why would l need to l live on a farm and its impossible to park outside my place without been on private property) still once l move l'll definately have to consider it depending how far off the road we are and how close to other houses as well
 
Timeless I was meaning the person who had the unsecured connection was the "provider", hence the quotation marks rather than the ISP concerned.
 
my bad l took the word provider out of context..
 
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... actually, its the users concern to secure his own wireless... the ISP only provide you the service and unless otherwise stated you are in charge of your own equipment, now securing wireless can be a lil annoying since lve never secured mine before (why would l need to l live on a farm and its impossible to park outside my place without been on private property) still once l move l'll definately have to consider it depending how far off the road we are and how close to other houses as well

I wonder how far away you could access an unsecured access point from using the right equipment, I recently read an item about some group setting an unamplified wifi ~ 170 mile 'record' using two 3 metre dishes and WRT54g routers.
 
whatever the case tho, as soon as one see's that its definitely time to encypt their wireless the owners of the wireless equipment dont wanna be arrested for 1. ppl hacking useing their wireless (l know alot of guys who used to do that) and 2. the worst case kiddy fiddlers

Yes, this is what I say to people who claim there's nothing useful on their PC's that anyone using their unsecured wireless would want as they don't do online shopping and banking. When I tell them that some pervert could download (whatever perversion files) and it would be them who would get the knock on the door and the police forensic team carrying computer kit out in plastic bags along with all the other media they own) because the trace stops with their link, they get all offended.

Well, I tried to warn them...
 
I wonder how far away you could access an unsecured access point from using the right equipment, I recently read an item about some group setting an unamplified wifi ~ 170 mile 'record' using two 3 metre dishes and WRT54g routers.

for us normal ppl with wireless router/modems l don't think they go further than 200feet unless your talking wireless hotspots they would have a fair radius.
 
Well.....As I seem to be down the few million quid to set a multi-dish and specialist equipment....I decided to knock on doors..... :D

I found one....And got the lady to secure it..... Well...I told her how to do it rather than doing it for her....
Oh...And as a side point she had gone over her allowance for the past 3 months and she thought it was all down to spam.....Methinks someone has been on her connection!

But the other one is proving hard to find....
Either that or someone is lying to me....The connection is still unsecured.
Well......I feel I have done my bit......I tried....

Thanks for the help guys
 
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Looks like you've done your bit for your neighbours. Possibly the other one is something to do with someones child who's into computers and parents don't know what they have stashed in the bedroom with flashing lights and wotnot.

Allow yourself a smug self-righteous glow for a minute (but no more)

:laugh:
 
Aw....Only a minute?

I would have thought the leg work would have earned me a good hour at least..... :hrmph:
 
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