quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
If you have a decently strong PW for your router, and don’t give it out, I don’t see how anyone else could use your WiFi. Am I wrong about that?

If the 'extra' client is running LINUX, it can gain access to your router and your internet access without needing any passwords.

I use my router but also the computer program. The program is easier on your eyes to ID devices and copy paste MACs and such if you want to create a spreadsheet. IMO.

Found it handy and run it long time ago. Just remember to disable the voice message that says "another computer found" every five secs. It's annoying as hell.

One of the things I posted about when Win10 was released, was the feature for WiFi password sharing called WiFi Sense.

WiFi Sense automatically shares your WiFi password with everyone in your Outlook Address Book, Skype Friend's List, and Facebook Friend's List automatically. Of course, once your friends receive your WiFi password, all of the their friends receive it too.

Here is a Cnet article about it...

www.Cnet.com/how-to/how-to-kill-wi-fi-password-sharing-in-windows-10/


SARAH JACOBSSON PUREWAL
AUGUST 10, 2015 11:45 AM PDT

Windows 10 has a new feature called Wi-Fi Sense that makes sharing your Wi-Fi password slightly more convenient -- at the expense of network security, naturally.

Wi-Fi Sense automatically shares password information with your contacts, in theory so your friends and family will be able to connect to your network without having to manually enter in a password. Your friends won't actually know your exact password (it's encrypted and then stored in the cloud), but assuming you don't necessarily want every contact you have in Outlook, Skype and Facebook to be able to connect to your home network when they're in range of it, this is not an ideal setup.

Also, if you chose Express Settings when you installed Windows 10, Wi-Fi Sense is turned on by default.

So the first thing you'll want to do is turn this off. To do this, open up Settings and go to Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage Wi-Fi settings and uncheck the options to share your networks with Outlook.com contacts, Skype contacts, and Facebook friends. Here, you can also turn off the ability to automatically connect to open hotspots and to connect to networks shared by your contacts.

But turning off Wi-Fi sense on your computer is only one (small) part of the equation. Because anyone else who connects to your Wi-Fi network with their Windows 10 laptop or phone is putting your network's security at risk if they haven't turned off Wi-Fi Sense on their device.

So the next thing you'll need to do is to make your network unshareable. To do this, you will need to open up your router's settings and change the name of your home network to something with "_optout" in it. The easiest way to do this is to simply add "_optout" to the end of your network -- for example, if your network is called SarahsWiFi, you will want to change the name to SarahsWiFi_optout.

Adding _optout to your network name allows you to opt out of Wi-Fi Sense completely -- nobody will be able to share your network information with their Facebook buddies, even if they connect to your network.

.

So how does one go about accessing their router? I am using Win 10 Pro and have a Netgear router.

Try www.routerlogin.com, then add your login info.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Collins:
So how does one go about accessing their router? I am using Win 10 Pro and have a Netgear router.

Usually open a web page with the IP of your default gateway.
Google default username and password for your unit.
PS...if you don't know what you are doing don't change anything.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Collins:
So how does one go about accessing their router? I am using Win 10 Pro and have a Netgear router.

Usually open a web page with the IP of your default gateway.
Google default username and password for your unit.
PS...if you don't know what you are doing don't change anything.

If you haven't been there before, expect an update or two.

There will also be unnecessary stuff offered so don't feel obligated to get it all.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I just log into my router to see this.

This ^^^^^

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I can block any interlopers, although I've had no such problems.

If you use WPA2 security, with a strong pass phrase, you're unlikely to--unless you're the target of the NSA.

What's a "strong" pass phrase? Well, there's disagreement on that. And with advances in computer technology, what was "strong" yesterday isn't today, and what's strong today probably won't be tomorrow. But the more-or-less general consensus is multi-word nonsensical phrases of greater than ten (10) characters, not including the spaces.

Here is an interesting, and effective, way to create a strong pass phrase: The Diceware Passphrase Home Page

I use a variation on that, not approved by the author (I asked--even though I already knew the answer) that uses a computer system's Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) for "dice." Its defaults are the author's recommendations for using the real Diceware.

quote:

Originally posted by slyguy:
If someone is sniffing your wifi don't just change the password. Nuke them from accessing it in the future.

Except you can't.

This comes up around here about once a year. I guess it's about time. A WiFi access point or router that doesn't have security holes, is properly configured and has a strong pass phrase is the only thing that'll save you. MAC filters and hiding the SSID will not. Period.

A proper configuration, along with up-to-date firmware and a strong pass phrase, includes using only WPA2-AES (if possible), disabling WPS, disabling fast roaming/reconnect, enabling client isolation, disabling admin access from the wireless network, disabling unused/unneeded protocols (such as SSH), and making certain the device keeps proper time.

Adding MAC filters and hiding your SSID adds nothing of consequence to the above--other than to make using the network more difficult for legitimate users.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
If you have a decently strong PW for your router, and don’t give it out, I don’t see how anyone else could use your WiFi. Am I wrong about that?

If the 'extra' client is running LINUX, it can gain access to your router and your internet access without needing any passwords.

Not sure where you heard/read that but that's not true.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
If you have a decently strong PW for your router, and don’t give it out, I don’t see how anyone else could use your WiFi. Am I wrong about that?

If the 'extra' client is running LINUX, it can gain access to your router and your internet access without needing any passwords.

Not sure where you heard/read that but that's not true.

Of course it is. Us Linux geeks gots super powers, y'know

Oops! Forgot about this one:

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
If you have internet through Comcast, its part of their setup that they use your internet to let other Comcast Xfinity customers access the internet using their account access.

That statement is just a bit >< misleading.

Those public hotspots use the same physical connection to the Internet, but it's entirely separate from your home network. Put another way: Somebody connected to one of those hotspots is no closer to being connected to your network than is your neighbour using his WiFi network with Comcast Internet service.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
You have to go to your Comcast settings and manually shut it off.

And it may just turn itself right back on.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
I've been all over town and I'll see Xfinity and can log in with my mobile device and use someone else's internet access.

Now that is entirely misleading.

When somebody connects to an Xfinity WiFi hotspot they are not using the Comcast/Xfinity customer's Internet access. You'll still have full bandwidth and, if your usage is tracked/capped, usage of that hotspot won't count against it.

quote:

I just named my router "FBI Surveillance Van

I've seen this around my neighborhood. Ironically, several weeks after first spotting this, a drug bust happened a few blocks down the street! I doubt your router signal is strong enough to reach NH. LOL But, one never knows!

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

If you have internet through Comcast, its part of their setup that they use your internet to let other Comcast Xfinity customers access the internet using their account access.

You have to go to your Comcast settings and manually shut it off.

I've been all over town and I'll see Xfinity and can log in with my mobile device and use someone else's internet access.

Tony.

I don't know if ours is a Xfinity Hot Spot or not, but it wouldn't surprise me. How does one turn off access to others?

quote:

Originally posted by sleepla8er:
One of the things I posted about when Win10 was released, was the feature for WiFi password sharing called WiFi Sense.

WiFi Sense automatically shares your WiFi password with everyone in your Outlook Address Book, Skype Friend's List, and Facebook Friend's List automatically. Of course, once your friends receive your WiFi password, all of the their friends receive it too.

I am amazed this escaped my attention until now. But Ho-ly crap! Every time I get to thinking Microsoft will never top some past stupidity they manage to do it again. And to call something so obviously stupid WiFi Sense, to boot!

The good news is Microsoft finally realized the error of their ways and quietly patched that bit of stupidity out back in early 2016 sometime: Microsoft Disables Wi-Fi Sense on Windows 10

But this brings up another point: If your WiFi Access Point or router supports separate "guest" access: You should use it.

"WiFi Sense"

quote:

Originally posted by at-home-daddy:
I don't know if ours is a Xfinity Hot Spot or not, but it wouldn't surprise me. How does one turn off access to others?

Please see my response to benny6's comments, two posts back.

(As to your direct question: It would vary by Comcast/Xfinity router model.)

I apologize but I just could not help myself . . .

My XFinity app that I downloaded lets me know if of new devices that log on. It is password protected, so I can boot or block them if I want. It has always ended up as one of my kids friends who are at the house.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
If you have a decently strong PW for your router, and don’t give it out, I don’t see how anyone else could use your WiFi. Am I wrong about that?

If the 'extra' client is running LINUX, it can gain access to your router and your internet access without needing any passwords.

Not sure where you heard/read that but that's not true.

I'm not pretentious about knowledge to share on this subject since I am retired. Search for "KRACK WIFI" and then re-evaluate your assertion. (Android too since it is Linux based)

quote:

Originally posted by rh:

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
If you have a decently strong PW for your router, and don’t give it out, I don’t see how anyone else could use your WiFi. Am I wrong about that?

If the 'extra' client is running LINUX, it can gain access to your router and your internet access without needing any passwords.

Not sure where you heard/read that but that's not true.

I'm not pretentious about knowledge to share on this subject since I am retired. Search for "KRACK WIFI" and then re-evaluate your assertion. (Android too since it is Linux based)

His assertion, that Linux doesn't magically grant access to WiFi APs, which is what was asserted, is accurate.