Comments for How can I block neighboring wireless networks?

Comment from Michael on 2009-08-18

2009-08-19T01:05:24Z

sorry, let me add, the laptop needs to be able to recognize other networks at school, coffee shops, etc. i'm just looking for a way to prevent windows from detecting one specific network. from the way i understood your article, if unchecking the box to recognize non-preferred networks would not be ideal for this reason. i hope i'm not confusing the issue

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Comment from Michael on 2009-08-18

2009-08-19T01:01:47Z

I have a slightly different situation. i want to set up my computer so that it is unable to detect an incoming signal from a neighbors network.

for example, lets say i have a content filter, but if my kid connects to my neighbors unsecured network from his laptop he can bypass it. .. so what i need is to configure his machine so that when he opens his network connection center he cant even see the neighbors signal ..

if you have any suggestion please feel free to email me. thanks

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Comment from Nikki H. on 2008-03-31

2008-03-31T18:46:30Z

Good subject...!
I was also wondering about how i can block out my neighbors WiFi signal.
I must admit that i don't have a wireless signal at my house & i sometimes use my neighbors
unprotected 'linksys' signal. I want to have access to that network when i need to use it
(for email, banking, etc) but i also want to prevent my son (who is 13) from accessing the network because he
has dabbled in looking at inappropriate stuff on our family desktop (i have already used netanny & cybersitter
to try to discourage him from looking at inappropriate content, but he always finds a way around it, so i've
realized that completely restricting his access to my neighbor's wireless signal is the only sure way to remedy
this problem). Is there a way for me to use my neighbor's signal when i want to... & also to be able to restrict
it when my son is alone at home? Thanks for your advice. I run windows VISta on all the family computers.

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Comment from ANDRE on 2007-11-13

2007-11-14T03:51:07Z

REF: How can I block neighboring wireless networks?

Would you have an answer for VISTA 32 bit ? the wireless properties dialog box is different...

Thanks

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Comment from Kristin on 2007-02-09

2007-02-09T23:31:25Z

It's interesting that the neighbor is assumed to be technically savvy enough to intentionally try to access the OP's system. I know many intelligent people who have great difficulty with basic network configuration. My initial thought was that said neighbor did not previously have his own internet connection and had been utilizing the OP's network. Then in a befuddled attempt to try and make a new system work, he simply renamed his network to that which he had been using. Perhaps I'm being Pollyannaish, but I've seen enough people do wacky things that it's a possibility.

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Comment from Philip C Tyson on 2007-02-06

2007-02-07T01:23:38Z

This neighbors intentions were probably far more nefarious and possibly illegal. He was hoping that your computer would connect to his wireless device. He could then use that connection to monitor the traffic that was passing through it. I cam see no other reason for the neighbor to name his network the same as yours.

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Comment from Leo Notenboom on 2007-02-04

2007-02-05T04:56:32Z

If the neighbor is technically savvy, he could sniff your network traffic if you connect through his access point.

(And yes, if it's an accident, it's the neighbor at risk of being snooped by whoever can connect.)

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Comment from Sam on 2007-02-04

2007-02-05T04:53:56Z

OK, pretend I'm really thick and explain something to me in easy-to-understand words:
What is the problem with having a neighbor with this unsecured wi-fi? Isn't it the neighbor who is at risk by doing what he's doing, and not the person above?
Thanks.

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Comment from Hal M on 2007-02-03

2007-02-03T14:19:42Z

One other note, is most wireless setups will default to running on channel 6 for their wireless communications frequency. I'd go in and change from the default 6 to channel 11. You have to do that within your wireless router and laptop wireless adapter. If the guys neighbor is running ch6 and your original poster changes his setup to run on ch 11, that may help with his wireless always attemtping to connect to the neighbors network.

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Comment from Hal M on 2007-02-03

2007-02-03T14:09:41Z

Isn't there an issue with wireless networks that are deleted from the preferred networks window, again re-appearing in the same window at some point in the future? Seems I've seen that before. Right now I've not seen a way to restrict these adjacent wireless networks from being discovered by a wireless laptop. And that can be a pain sometimes for the very issue the original poster was writing about.

One thing you can do is to make sure that your "absolute" preferred network, is at the very top of this list, as that will be the first one that your wireless device will attempt to connect to -

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Comment from Dave Peters on 2007-02-02

2007-02-03T05:19:44Z

If I remember correctly from my classes, the tools we used was able to view the MAC addresses of all the computers that are attached to a network. Once you have that, there are another set of tools you can use to spoof your own MAC address. Once you have spoofed your own MAC, you then have the rights to login to the network; provided you have used the other tools correctly to get the WPA passphrase. Again, I can't stress enough a Strong Passphrase.

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Comment from Jim S on 2007-02-02

2007-02-03T03:32:42Z

I'm curious as to why you didn't recommend limiting the MAC addresses that the router would allow to connect?

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Comment from Jim S on 2007-02-02

2007-02-03T03:32:16Z

I'm curious as to why you didn't recommend limiting the MAC addresses that the router would allow to connect?

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Comment from Carl on 2007-02-02

2007-02-03T02:08:50Z

Sounds like a "For Sale" sign might be necessary in the near future???

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Comment from Sergio Coelho on 2007-01-31

2007-02-01T03:13:46Z

Thanks for the thorough explanation and the advice. Sounds like a good idea to hide the SSID -I just need to check if the router allows it (but since I'm about to get a faster one, I'll pick one that does). As I live in an apartment block and there are a couple dozen diferent signals appearing on the wireless detector, if mine goes anonimous then I cannot see how the said neighbor can easily pick anything up in the middle of all the others.

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A comment on: How can I block neighboring wireless networks?

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Comment from Ken on 2007-01-31

2007-01-31T17:38:56Z

Regarding the disabling of SSID broadcast...

You can change the SSID prior to disabling the broadcast, allow your system(s) to detect it and configure the connection, and then disable the broadcast. This is a lot easier than manually configuring it when renaming it after disabling SSID broadcast.

Of course, it does leave a window of opportunity for your neighbor (and others) to see the new SSID, so you need to weigh the convenience versus the security.

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Comment from Dave Peters on 2007-01-30

2007-01-31T04:43:05Z

I would also like to add to the article an important point that was missed. When setting up your passphrase with WPA, it's so important that you have a 'Strong' password. I graduated last year with a networking degree and one of the things we did in our wireless class was to break into WEP and also WPA. In fact, I think WPA can be easier at times to break into. The way we did this was a dictionary attack. There are plenty of articles on the net using linux on how to do this. So make that passphrase strong, and you shouldn't have many problems.

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Comment from Wesley Griffin on 2007-01-30

2007-01-30T21:14:16Z

A very timely acticle. I have just upgraded to
wireless, and right off experienced an
unprotected wireless network that overpowered my
system. I am not that familiar yet with Wireless Networks, WEP,or WPA .Could you go into some detail on WEP or WPA in another article.
Is their any third party 'blocking utility' available that would protect you from this.
My service provider was of no help.
Thank's for a very informative article.

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A comment on: How can I block neighboring wireless networks?

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