Comments for If I let my neighbor share my WiFi, can they see my network traffic?

Comment from sam on 2011-12-03

2011-12-03T16:32:25Z

i watch porn on my ipod through wifi and i still live with my parents can they see my history on the pc even though i delete it on my ipod history every time after use???

There are several approaches that your parents could use to notice that you've been visiting porn sites, even if you delete your iPod history.

06-Dec-2011

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Comment from Scott on 2011-09-28

2011-09-28T22:05:48Z

In reference to the Wi-Fi 'hackers'

What about restricting access to only allow approved MAC addresses, hidden network ID, and having an encrypted password?

I saw no one saying to hide the network ID, as well as the mac address.

Here is another question that an answer may prove useful.

Is there a way to allow a neighbor to use our internet, but actually on a separate "guest" network? Therefore, if his computer gets infected, mine can't?

Thanks!
Scott

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Comment from John on 2011-08-19

2011-08-19T21:31:13Z

I have moved into a home and I have a Macbook and I watch porn. We share the same router. He is my landlord, can he track all the sites I use. They are adult sites and nothing illegal. I have removed the history and cookies, does this help

Clearing history and cookies only helps if he has access to your computer. As the article you just commented on points out, he can see all your network traffic unless it's encrypted.

20-Aug-2011

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Comment from Some User on 2011-06-28

2011-06-28T16:14:30Z

Just tell neighbors you use hard-wired LAN and not WiFi. This way you won't hurt their feelings.

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Comment from Rockr on 2011-06-07

2011-06-07T15:36:07Z

Thank you for this information. I had a new neighbor asking for connectivity to my network over wifi. They just moved in and I was very unsure about it. This post helped take my decision in 5 minutes and do it so politely. Thank u!!

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Comment from Victoria Haynes on 2011-03-17

2011-03-17T22:58:13Z

Thanks Leo, My questions have been answered. I've learned not to share my wifi. My neighbor came to me and ask if I could share the password to share the internet. They just moved into the neighborhood I do not know them.
I google you and signed up for your newsletters. I feel better about saying "No"!!!
Again Thanks.

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Comment from Lauren on 2010-10-14

2010-10-14T15:31:03Z

This answers part of the question; BUT, HOW to see what the neighbor has been accessing, at this point?

In general, you cannot. You should assume that they can see anything without leaving traces.

15-Oct-2010

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Comment from John on 2010-03-29

2010-03-29T23:46:14Z

I agree with Leo. Any untrusted machines on your network can potentially spread viruses to computers on your domain even if they don't specifically connect to the domain.
I write software for detection of unknown computers on networks, and generally my customers are much more worried about viruses from home laptops then from someone cracking the WEP or WPA encryption and specically targeting their business.
It's just a much more likely scenario.

I believe that many years ago this is exactly what brought a portion of Microsoft internally to it's knees: a virus that someone had brought in from home on their personal or portable computer. Fortunately I was on sabbatical at the time.

31-Mar-2010

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Comment from Jennifer on 2010-03-12

2010-03-12T16:39:15Z

So as long as the neighbours are not using hacker tools, it sounds like the data going through that shared network may be safe from them. But what if they don't have an anti-virus, or bother upkeeping it, and pick up viruses and trojans while surfing the net? Does having computers logging into your secured wifi but NOT your domain pose a security risk if they contain malware? THis may be an aspect that the person asking the initial question may not have considered; it's also something I'm wondering about as I work for a school and we are currently letting students - with who-knows-what kind of security on their laptops - access our secured encrypted wifi. They cannot access our domain with their laptops as it requires an admin logon and is protected by various layers of policies. But can the wifi access alone be an open door to the system from an unprotected laptop?

Any time you allow an untrusted computer to connect to your network - be it via Wifi, encrypted or not, or by a hardwired connection - you are putting every computer on your network at risk. Malware can indeed propagate to other machines on your network.

14-Mar-2010

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Comment from ramdon on 2009-10-18

2009-10-18T22:17:56Z

you are all paranoid schizotypal disordered people!
Most of what you say is true in theory but practically most people wont have to worry-because your average neighbor doesn't have any idea how to hack into a network nor has the time. Its like saying not door lock is secure-with the right tools it can be picked-do you go to sleep everything night thinking about that?

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Comment from Pax on 2009-05-25

2009-05-25T14:02:48Z

Worst Case: They enter your router through the network, jus typing http://192.168.x.x etc & they chance the router pwd!!! lo! and u r denied acces to your own router!!!
wifi sucks, but then are there such hacker so easily avaiable??? guess not, a normal web encription, checked in 2-3 days, chance pwd as oftena as possible & its relatively safe...
i mean relatively!!!
NetStubler... well hats off... any wifi is crackable...
tc.

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Comment from Brenda on 2008-10-28

2008-10-28T13:10:53Z

I have a business and I have WLAN connection. A lot of times I see my neighbor sitting near our building on the rock wall with his computer.... surfing. My guess is that he is using a wireless connection and fishing off my WLAN. I use a wireless and want to continue doing so but would like for him not to be able to connect and receive free internet from my business. What can I do to keep using my business base computer and also my wireless at the same time and not let the neighbor in? Thanks

Enable WPA encryption on your wireless router/access point and stick a password on it.

- Leo
28-Oct-2008

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Comment from Antonio on 2007-10-21

2007-10-22T00:03:08Z

Well in response to the WPA is safe, I'd have to disagree on that. I'm pretty paranoid when it comes to securtiy especially on WI-FI reason being they arent secure at all being ur using WEP or WPA or WPA-PSK types of encryptions for the network, with the right tools they can be hacked, Someone using ARP poisoning places the hacker between you and the router making all the traffic pass thru his computer then to the router, this way makes his sniffing packets alot easier, even if your on a secured web page like ebay which the page uses https all the packets can be captured and decrypted with a program called (C&A) I'm using the begining of these letters to prevent others from using them but to the know hacker they know what C&A is. Well that is a method a hacker uses when already in a wifi network. But trying to hack a wifi network they first have to see what secured networks are in the area and they use a program called Networ Stumbler, that program detects all wifi signals in the area within range, this program can also detect wifi routers that have their SSID's disabled from broadcast if im correct. Again i'm leaving some stuff out to prevent newbie hackers from getting ideas of hacking wifi,

NetStumbler is commonly used for:

Wardriving
Verifying network configurations
Finding locations with poor coverage in one�s WLAN
Detecting causes of wireless interference
Detecting unauthorized (�rogue�) access points
Aiming directional antennas for long-haul WLAN links

once they see the AP thy want to get into (encrypted WEP WPA etc..) They run a program with the right hardware (WIFI CARD)to sniff out packets, once the packets have been capured from the target they use anogther program to crack the encryption this takes very little time, once thats done the program shows the key thats being used to get on the secured wifi network once having access to the network that you think was secured being wep, wpa etc.. they can being their attacks using easy ways like NetBios attacks or simply snoop around to get your info being credit cards, anything. So these are ways the hackers can get into the secured wifi network, again i have left things out but you get the idea on how this can be done, as far as i know the WPA2 is know to be belived to be uncrackable but i may be wrong, ill be looking into that. But if anyone has any comments feel free to msg me at [Email Address Removed] as I am also very concerned of the lack of security of the Internet these days.

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2007-06-03

2007-06-03T17:21:00Z

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

I'll actually agree to a point. Unsecured WiFi, and WiFi using WEP encryption
is, effectively, open to anyone.

WPA encryption is much better, but it's only as good as the password you
choose. Choose a good - no, *great* - password, and WPA is safe.

Leo
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iD8DBQFGYvhxCMEe9B/8oqERAuvGAJ9S4dA8zpp8JfRSsBj3CZCs7VvzHgCcCjfF
SQbhDoRRRkPgbmJDlZYTs8A=
=oLmN
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Comment from kracker on 2007-06-03

2007-06-03T12:07:57Z

As a hacker I would like to tell you the dangers of wi-fi. Sure it's great. No more running network cables through the walls. Wi-Fi is a goddie zone for hackers reguardless of encryption can be hacked. So no Wi-Fi is secured to really good hackers. They snoop through all your files on no matter what computer. And yes even if you had a hacker on your wi-fi he or she is too apart your network now. They can activate your web cam and watch and hear. It is a new scarry digital age. They can install pro rat which is a spyware program that can be changed by hackers to get pass your firewall or spyware scanner. Now they can monitor your computer from any network on the internet. Right now Im on a wi-fi and it is not my own. I dont have a wi-fi on my actual cable modem. I use a router and network cables because I dont take the risk of any other hacker piggybacking on my network. I suggest through the wi-fi networks out in the trash cause If I was on your network I could even look at pictures you have saved. I could even check you internet history even your cache for that matter. Nothing is safe with wi-fi. your just inviteing hackers to your network. They can be right outside your house launching virus or even sending death threats to the government and you get visited by the cops or fbi depending where your too.

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Comment from jeff on 2007-02-25

2007-02-25T11:59:20Z

How do you secure it if i pc has xp home with no permissions feature and windows media center on other pc both of which have simple file sharing enabled how do i keep the neighbors from seeing shared folders.

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Comment from lee on 2007-01-27

2007-01-27T14:19:29Z

i dont have a wireless computer but a router and i have an anti-virus and a privacy guardian, is it possible for local people to see my web surfing?

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Comment from steve z on 2006-05-01

2006-05-02T00:56:01Z

go the other way can i see who is connected to my wireless access point

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Comment from JoNNiE on 2005-10-31

2005-10-31T19:19:27Z

Hey pholks

i just got a bran new sony laptop it has a 802.11 b/n wirless card my brother lives 2 doors down and has his wireless network for open access so he lets me connect to it, But hes on holidays for 3 months and the signal strenth is low and i keep gettin disconected is there any type of a wireless attena i could get for it? at a decent price that would improve the singal strenth? thanks alot

JoNNiE D

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Comment from Andy on 2005-07-28

2005-07-28T10:59:41Z

With regards to file sharing with all on the network, you should be able to specify which usernames/computers are able to view shared folders in Windows, right?

If you share a folder containing files by right-clicking and selecting "Sharing and Security...", then check "share this folder", then click on "Permissions", you should be able to add/remove individual user access. Default is everyone.

Not sure if this only works with domain users, as a small home network usually uses a workgroup, unless you're rich/clever/bored/mad and choose to use a Domain Controller for less than 10 PC's.

Also not sure if this is only available to XP Pro users.

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Comment from Brian on 2005-07-27

2005-07-27T16:02:53Z

That isn't completely true. I agree that the obvious is the sharing of files and printers.

But, depending on how techie the neighbor is, he could very likely see anything happening on the network. I manage our office network and have my computer set up to sniff all packets that carry thru to the internet. The neighbor could very well do that too.

But then again, if he is able to do that then he is probably able to break a WEP anyway so you might as well befriend him and seek his loyalty.

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Comment from Jim on 2005-07-27

2005-07-27T15:46:12Z

Actually, his router is most likely a routing switch, which would allow his neighbor to use ARP Poisoning to view traffic to and from other computers in his home network. You're right, though, that traffic to and from his bank is probably encrypted (via https) so ARP poisoning still won't enable his neighbor to actually read any of that particular data once it's captured. Unencrypted traffic, however, would be vulnerable.

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