Something strange in the neighborhood...

01-27-2005	#1 (permalink)
bokchoi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	Something strange in the neighborhood... I've been having connectivity problems with my wireless desktop computer in my home since the very beginning when I got my first 802.11b Linksys card and hub, and today I am running a USR8054 and USR5416 802.11g router and card with similar problems. My friend suggested I try using NetStumbler to find out if other networks are interfering with mine, and recently I've come across very strange results, in that on certain days in the evenings, 100 or more Peer networks that have (Fake) listed under vendor and consecutive MAC addresses begin to appear one by one on the same channel I'm using. I've switched channels a few times to confirm that these always appear on my channel, and the MAC addresses are totally unfamiliar, though they are all consecutive. These networks all seem to deactivate immediately as soon as they appear, so I have never tried to connect or otherwise access. I find that when this process begins, I can't access the internet until the process stops on its own, anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. A friend of mine suggested to me that someone may be attempting to hack or attack the network or find an unfiltered SSID, though I am not sure what he means or how this would allow someone access to my own network. Whether this is a phenomenom of my network settings or someone trying to attack, I still lose all internet access from my wireless computers when this process starts. If anyone can help me remedy this problem or help me figure out what's going on, that would be grand. Thanks!

01-27-2005

#2 (permalink)

streaker69

Psychic Amish Stumbler

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Virginville, BlueBall, Bird In Hand, Intercourse, Paradise, PA

Posts: 11,798

Quote:

Originally Posted by bokchoi

I've been having connectivity problems with my wireless desktop computer in my home since the very beginning when I got my first 802.11b Linksys card and hub, and today I am running a USR8054 and USR5416 802.11g router and card with similar problems.

My friend suggested I try using NetStumbler to find out if other networks are interfering with mine, and recently I've come across very strange results, in that on certain days in the evenings, 100 or more Peer networks that have (Fake) listed under vendor and consecutive MAC addresses begin to appear one by one on the same channel I'm using. I've switched channels a few times to confirm that these always appear on my channel, and the MAC addresses are totally unfamiliar, though they are all consecutive. These networks all seem to deactivate immediately as soon as they appear, so I have never tried to connect or otherwise access. I find that when this process begins, I can't access the internet until the process stops on its own, anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours.

A friend of mine suggested to me that someone may be attempting to hack or attack the network or find an unfiltered SSID, though I am not sure what he means or how this would allow someone access to my own network. Whether this is a phenomenom of my network settings or someone trying to attack, I still lose all internet access from my wireless computers when this process starts.

If anyone can help me remedy this problem or help me figure out what's going on, that would be grand. Thanks!

First off, never connect to an AP that you do not have permission to connect to.

Second. You're probably seeing an AP in ad-hoc mode. That would explain the changing MAC address.

Change your AP to a different channel, one preferably 3 channels away from the one that you keep seeing appear. Chances are, it's not someone trying to hack your system, just someone that doesn't know any better to RTFM. As you should be doing, by properly securing your AP from the outside world.

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01-27-2005

#3 (permalink)

wrzwaldo

I amuse you?

Join Date: Dec 2003

Posts: 9,127

Quote:

Originally Posted by streaker69

...

Second. You're probably seeing an AP in ad-hoc mode. That would explain the changing MAC address.

...

You're not running your network in adhoc mode are you?

01-28-2005	#4 (permalink)
bokchoi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	I am running AP only, so the only ad-hoc computers are problably those of other people around the neighborhood. I haven't ever tried to connect to anyone else's network for obvious reasons, though there have been occasions where either Windows' Wireless Zero Config or USR's WLan Config have automatically associated to one of the 4 unsecured channel 6 linksys APs in the area, even though I have configured them not to automatically connect to other networks. I have never accessed anyone else's internet or network under such conditions, however. At present, I've done my best to secure my network using WEP and MAC tables, but I don't know how I can go farther than that, besides switching to directional antennas, which I have unsuccessfully tried before in the past. Right now, the arbitrary networks have stopped appearing in NetStumbler, but yet another unsecured linksys has popped up, except that this particular one reads (Fake) under Vendor, while the others show the manufacturer. In any case, my wireless connection is still poor, and I'm frequently dropping out on every channel, even though the access point is physically less than 20 meters away from the computer in question, with only drywall in between. I'm beginning to suspect that there has always been too much interference in this area, and the fact that other people in the neighborhood have not taken any apparent steps in securing their APs probably doesn't help things a lot.

01-28-2005

#5 (permalink)

streaker69

Psychic Amish Stumbler

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Virginville, BlueBall, Bird In Hand, Intercourse, Paradise, PA

Posts: 11,798

Quote:

Originally Posted by bokchoi

I am running AP only, so the only ad-hoc computers are problably those of other people around the neighborhood.

I haven't ever tried to connect to anyone else's network for obvious reasons, though there have been occasions where either Windows' Wireless Zero Config or USR's WLan Config have automatically associated to one of the 4 unsecured channel 6 linksys APs in the area, even though I have configured them not to automatically connect to other networks. I have never accessed anyone else's internet or network under such conditions, however.

At present, I've done my best to secure my network using WEP and MAC tables, but I don't know how I can go farther than that, besides switching to directional antennas, which I have unsuccessfully tried before in the past.

Right now, the arbitrary networks have stopped appearing in NetStumbler, but yet another unsecured linksys has popped up, except that this particular one reads (Fake) under Vendor, while the others show the manufacturer.

In any case, my wireless connection is still poor, and I'm frequently dropping out on every channel, even though the access point is physically less than 20 meters away from the computer in question, with only drywall in between. I'm beginning to suspect that there has always been too much interference in this area, and the fact that other people in the neighborhood have not taken any apparent steps in securing their APs probably doesn't help things a lot.

In tight confined quarters like you're describing, anyone with a 2.4ghz telephone is probably killing yours and all other AP's once they pick their phone up. Or even if the phone rings. Best solution, wrap all the adjoining walls of your apartment in Foil and then ground it. That will keep those spurious Rf transmissions out of your place.

01-28-2005

#6 (permalink)

sysadmn

Wireless Novice

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: in front of the computer, duh!

Posts: 124

Quote:

Originally Posted by streaker69

While blocking extraneous signals can be an effective strategy, using a physical waveguide is even better.

Bobchoi:
Take a fine copper wire and wrap it around the antenna on the AP. Use at least 20 turns to better electromagnetically couple the wire and the antenna. Then extend the wire to the antenna on the host adaptor. Again, wrap it at least 20 times for proper coupling. If you do not have an external antenna, wrap the entire laptop, taking care to ensure that the loops cross over the laptop or pcmcia card's internal antenna. You may get better results if you strip the insulation from the portion of the wire used for coupling. Note that coax does not work well in this application.

If this method does not work, you may wish to use an advanced technique. Purchase a special wire called a "CAT 5 Ethernet Cable" :-)

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01-28-2005

#7 (permalink)

streaker69

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sysadmn

While blocking extraneous signals can be an effective strategy , using a physical waveguide is even better.

If this method does not work, you may wish to use an advanced technique. Purchase a special wire called a "CAT 5 Ethernet Cable" :-)

Here is someone that had a similar problem and how they solved it..

Last edited by streaker69 : 01-28-2005 at 08:59 AM.

01-28-2005	#8 (permalink)
Dutch Humourless EuroMod. Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: City of Mermaids, Denmark Posts: 6,813	Fake photo alert! Missing tin-foil cap is a dead giveaway... Dutch __________________ All your answers are belong to Google. SEARCH DAMMIT! Warning. Warning. Low C8H10N4O2 level detected. Operator halted....

01-28-2005

#9 (permalink)

sysadmn

Wireless Novice

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: in front of the computer, duh!

Posts: 124

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

Fake photo alert!
Missing tin-foil cap is a dead giveaway...

Dutch

"They" want you to believe that if you're in the room, the beanie is optional. Personally, I think that alleged "fan" looks like a parabolic mind control antenna.

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01-28-2005

#10 (permalink)

Monitr7

Not feeling funny...

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: Rebrandsoftware's mom's house...

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sysadmn

"They" want you to believe that if you're in the room, the beanie is optional. Personally, I think that alleged "fan" looks like a parabolic mind control antenna.

I'll add that I'd be willing to bet the the windows in that room lead nowhere; just fake scenery behind them. Also, if you look, the fellow has some kind of bag in his hand, maybe. A bag full of mind control drugs, gentlemen; a bag full of mind control drugs. Welcome to the world of the Illuminati...

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01-28-2005	#11 (permalink)
audit Country Boy. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep in the Woods. Posts: 1,909	Found a pic of renderman eh? __________________ audit Blackberry Outage Mail List. Be the one of first people to know about RIM outages. Blackberry Chat Mail List. My day to day life.

01-28-2005

#12 (permalink)

wrzwaldo

I amuse you?

Join Date: Dec 2003

Posts: 9,127

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monitr7

I'll add that I'd be willing to bet the the windows in that room lead nowhere; just fake scenery behind them. Also, if you look, the fellow has some kind of bag in his hand, maybe. A bag full of mind control drugs, gentlemen; a bag full of mind control drugs. Welcome to the world of the Illuminati...

Detachable scrotum?

01-28-2005

#13 (permalink)

Monitr7

Not feeling funny...

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: Rebrandsoftware's mom's house...

Posts: 1,699

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrzwaldo

Detachable scrotum?

In that case, welcome to the world of radical feminists...

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G8tK33per doesn't care about the tarded people!
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01-28-2005	#14 (permalink)
beakmyn root\.workspace\.garbage. Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,796	I want to know what he's looking at, and why is he smiling. The rotary oscillator is just a red herring. What you really need to worry about is what's behind the curtain on the right. Hint: It's not a window. __________________ Daughter with arms inside shirt: "Daddy I'm not Armish" ┌──────────────────────────────┐ ╞ NS Icons Explained\|et hoc genus omne ╡ └──────────────────────────────┘

01-05-2007

#15 (permalink)

9gixxer9

Registered Member

Join Date: Jan 2007

Posts: 1

Quote:

Originally Posted by streaker69

First off, never connect to an AP that you do not have permission to connect to.

Second. You're probably seeing an AP in ad-hoc mode. That would explain the changing MAC address.

hmm can someone explain, why the maclist in this szenario grows ?

Ive got this problem and didnt find a reason exepting AP in ad hoc mode.

Start NS find an adhoc (everytime the same) and the maclist under the SSID grows and grows...

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