Originally posted by Mez:

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Someone has been hacking my network. I have tried several times to set up WPA on my old XP system without success. Is it possible? I was able to connect the computer hardwired to the computer once using 'the button' on the router but the next time I connected a second time without the 'hard wire' it did not work.

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Originally posted by Mez:

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Yes and no. At one time I did list the MAC addresses that kept him out for a week. I left the router on and the modem and computers down last week when I went on vacation. I bet that had him fooled. I bet he spent a few hrs trying to crack that one!

What I have is a network seed there was a seed and then various passwords created by the seed in my router software. The later OSs just took the seed but I think the default password field is bigger. I think the field for XP is too short to take it all. It is hard to be sure because I can't see the letters and it fills the field but it does not scroll. The router setting only stated WPA. You got me thinking. Duha! I started playing around with the different authentications under wireless/properties, could it be WPA-PSK? I think that allows that allows for the full seed under wireless/properties. At least the field scrolls which it did not before. Maybe I need to set it up under wireless/properties.

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Originally posted by ntense69:

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Originally posted by Mez:

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Yes and no. At one time I did list the MAC addresses that kept him out for a week. I left the router on and the modem and computers down last week when I went on vacation. I bet that had him fooled. I bet he spent a few hrs trying to crack that one!

What I have is a network seed there was a seed and then various passwords created by the seed in my router software. The later OSs just took the seed but I think the default password field is bigger. I think the field for XP is too short to take it all. It is hard to be sure because I can't see the letters and it fills the field but it does not scroll. The router setting only stated WPA. You got me thinking. Duha! I started playing around with the different authentications under wireless/properties, could it be WPA-PSK? I think that allows that allows for the full seed under wireless/properties. At least the field scrolls which it did not before. Maybe I need to set it up under wireless/properties.

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what type of router do you have

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Originally posted by Mez:

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A linksys WRT310N.

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Originally posted by ntense69:

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1. Have you disabled the broadcast ssid Wireless Network Name
2. Have you got a password you use yourself or do you let your router choose one
3. Have you ran a key logger scanner anti virus and spy-ware on your computer
4. How long is your password and does it consist of numbers and letters with upper and lower cases

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Originally posted by Mez:

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I was hacked again! None of my names password and keys were at new recommended lengths even though some were computer generated.

He now has some kind of app that will look for a factory default wireless network and can grab it before I can. I had to set the router up at some one else'e house. The key is over 30 characters long and everything else is over 20. All exceed the recommended length for a secure system.

If he cracks this I will increase everything again and start wiring my house with ethernet. Does anyone know the max length cable can be between a switch and the computer?

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Originally posted by Mez:

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I was hacked again! None of my names password and keys were at new recommended lengths even though some were computer generated.

He now has some kind of app that will look for a factory default wireless network and can grab it before I can. I had to set the router up at some one else'e house. The key is over 30 characters long and everything else is over 20. All exceed the recommended length for a secure system.

If he cracks this I will increase everything again and start wiring my house with ethernet. Does anyone know the max length cable can be between a switch and the computer?

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Originally posted by ntense69:

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1. what security setting are you using
2. 300 ft for a max length of a cable for wired
3. i never use router generated passcodes i use my own

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Originally posted by Mez:

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Originally posted by ntense69:

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1. what security setting are you using
2. 300 ft for a max length of a cable for wired
3. i never use router generated passcodes i use my own

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1. WPA AES
3. Thanks I was a bit worried. Old technology required much shorter lengths.
3. Yes that was a problem. The Lynksys site stated a fast computer could break a key the size of the software generated key in 2 days. I am sure it was not by chance that they picked the length on the software generated key as the example. That is about how long it took him to break it. Plus it was all caps. I got the message! Both the network name and key exceed their length recommendations. Obviously, it is still crackable but will he waist that much time? I figure the key will be over 100 times harder to crack. The key is now 35 chars long of mixed content. Mostly letters of mixed case with just enough numbers to keep it honest. I suspect he has to dedicate some resources to the project. I am figuring he will give up in a few weeks maybe a month. There are hundreds of houses he can pick on. Most will not even figure that they are being tapped. If he is smart, he will have learned not to steal a mb of band width. You can do a few 100k with out anyone being the wiser. I do have a gb router so I am sure I was a 'find'. He also has my house zeroed. He could have none that easily while I was broadcasting.

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Originally posted by cee43ja1:

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or you can disconnect from the internet and look for suspicious files.

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Originally posted by ps355528:

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directional screening my friend.. only allow your signal to go where you want it to go.. or wire everything.. home made beam antennas are very useful in these situations if you MUST use wireless.... and mounted off vertical will usually stuff up anybody more than a few yards away outside.


run a network sniffer for a while and watch carefully while logging everything in and out.. you will see your bogey during quiet times.. but you need to leave it quiet otherwise you won't see who is what or which the suspect connections are... A better trap is a honeypot.. a nice pretty much unsecured spare wireless router connected to nothing in particular except a logger... hackers always go for the easy target.. pros you won't ever keep out... but they will hit an run.. using for specific purpose then out and away usually leaving no traces.. but you have a script kiddie.. and they are easy to deal with.

run a proper network sniffer on a known clean machine.. http://www.kismetwireless.net/

adopt a proper screening strategy.. make your signal impossible to lock to from more than a few yards outside your house.. simple way is to adjust the radiation polarization from vertical omni to some variant of horizontal.. signal strength inside will drop considerably.. outside signal strength will drop dramatically.. especially if you screen likely radiation directions where there are other houses but nothing you want to connect with..

happy hunting... your bogey is within 100 yards.. by playing with your antennas and some grounded foil you can make that 10 yards.. then you got em!!!

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Quote:

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adjust the radiation polarization from vertical omni to some variant of horizontal

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Originally posted by Mez:

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Originally posted by ps355528:

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directional screening my friend.. only allow your signal to go where you want it to go.. or wire everything.. home made beam antennas are very useful in these situations if you MUST use wireless.... and mounted off vertical will usually stuff up anybody more than a few yards away outside.


run a network sniffer for a while and watch carefully while logging everything in and out.. you will see your bogey during quiet times.. but you need to leave it quiet otherwise you won't see who is what or which the suspect connections are... A better trap is a honeypot.. a nice pretty much unsecured spare wireless router connected to nothing in particular except a logger... hackers always go for the easy target.. pros you won't ever keep out... but they will hit an run.. using for specific purpose then out and away usually leaving no traces.. but you have a script kiddie.. and they are easy to deal with.

run a proper network sniffer on a known clean machine.. http://www.kismetwireless.net/

adopt a proper screening strategy.. make your signal impossible to lock to from more than a few yards outside your house.. simple way is to adjust the radiation polarization from vertical omni to some variant of horizontal.. signal strength inside will drop considerably.. outside signal strength will drop dramatically.. especially if you screen likely radiation directions where there are other houses but nothing you want to connect with..

happy hunting... your bogey is within 100 yards.. by playing with your antennas and some grounded foil you can make that 10 yards.. then you got em!!!

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I didn't see anything when I went to your root scanner link. I do have a proper one and it did not show anything.

I agree that the hacker is withing a few hundred yards and I think I know what direction. He doesn't have all the tricks you have. He has been out for about a week. We can tell because he is not subtle, he wants me to know that he is in. I am in one of those houses that can be wired fairly easily. I almost bought a switch last week. I will go wired if he gets in again. Still that requires some level more resources than just tightening router security. Plus, this is a good learning experience for me.

If the hacker was smart I would never have known about him. In the wee hrs he could have run flat out without me being the wiser. Instead he was running so hard, the internet was almost dead during normal hrs. It took me too long to guess what was happening. Everyone in my neighborhood is a computer moron except for me. It did not occur to me that someone would be using a directional antenna. I bet he is less than 25 yrs old. He is way too cocky but then he had me running for some time. He has plenty of routers to choose from I suspect mine was the only gb router in range so he wanted to use mine.

I can visualize the grounded screen but how do I

Quote:

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adjust the radiation polarization from vertical omni to some variant of horizontal

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I will check out the sniffer and give you a buzz if I get confused.

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Originally posted by cee43ja1:

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another option easily available in dd-wrt wireless settings. and it can be configured so you can use the setup button to toggle wireless, so you don't have to keep going back into the router to turn it on/off.

the downside of having the setup button active is that you must have the reset button active too.

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