Chronic Blogger

Do you know who's using your wireless network now?

You are not alone... when it comes to your wireless network usage that is.

I have a friend (well.. really an acquaintance as I don't want to be associated with this crim) who shall remain nameless. He uses his neighbour's Internet account. He uses it for downloading and surfing, for his studies, and even to login to his work computer. How did he do this you might add?

Simple. He detected his neighbour's wireless networks. He then surfed the net for router manuals and tried the default URL and login/password combinations, to login to the admin pages of his neighbour's wireless routers. Now he brags about how he's not paying for Internet anymore. And he has the audacity to say that he could change the router settings so that the owners themselves can't access the net, but he's not THAT mean.

It's a little cheap don't you think...

So the lesson is boys and girls, secure your wireless network. There are heaps of resources for doing that online and, surprise surprise, in your router manual. How can you detect these cheapass leechers? Just check the trend of your monthly data usage. You should be able to tell how much data you've downloaded over the past month, versus the amount of data your ISP says you downloaded. I would say if you are consistently getting close to your limit and all you ever do is email and occasionally surf, then my friend, you are being used!

So beware, you never know when some cheapass moves in next door to you.

posted by chronicblogger @ 12:40 AM