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Network Mystery?

eclipse525

eclipse525

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 5, 2003
854
4
USA, New York
Ok... i've just encountered this little problem but first the set up....

I have a Mac & Windows machine plugged into a wireless router. At the moment I do not use the wireless capabilites on either machine so they are hardwired into the router. My brother lives an apartment right downstairs (two family house w/separate internet cable lines) and has a wireless router as well but does indeed use his wireless capabilites to connect his iMac. Just recently, he calls me up and tells that his Mac is connected to my wireless network and that it's cancelling his own wireless network. Does anyone know how to correct this issue? I'm at a loss! Thanks for any help!


~e
 
what brand of router do you have and what brand is your brothers. also what model is yours? sounds like both routers are transmiting on the same channle and your router is winning. all you have to do is change the channle or, since your not using your wireless you can turn yours off also.
 
apunkrockmonk said:
Turn on encryption? MAC address filtering? Turn off your wireless signal?

All those will work.
Click to expand...

well the first two will prevent connection to the network, but it sounds like his router is cancling out his brother's router due to being on the same channle. so not really fixing anything. but the last one yes.
 
If you aren't using the wireless on your router you should just turn it off completely. Also change your SSID to something other than the default.
 
Many routers can't disable wireless abilities. However, change the channel on your router, you will do this via the admin page. (should be either 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.0.1) type those into your browser and see if they come up. Unless its a AE if it is then you need to use the admin utility. Also make sure WPA is enabled and disable SSID. However if you disable SSID it will not be listed in the airport menu so remember your network name. :)
 
trainguy77 said:
Many routers can't disable wireless abilities. However, change the channel on your router, you will do this via the admin page. (should be either 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.0.1) type those into your browser and see if they come up. Unless its a AE if it is then you need to use the admin utility. Also make sure WPA is enabled and disable SSID. However if you disable SSID it will not be listed in the airport menu so remember your network name. :)
Click to expand...

really i have had 5 wifi routers and they all gave me the option. also you could take off, or chop off the antennas. :rolleyes:
 
Rokem said:
really i have had 5 wifi routers and they all gave me the option. also you could take off, or chop off the antennas. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Interesting. I have used a couple also and none of them have had the option. Neither does the Airport express or extreme. They all are different I guess.:rolleyes:
 
I can easily turn off the wireless part of my Belkin router if I want to...I'd imagine it's similar with most other routers.

Poke around the admin panel.
 
thanks for all the feedback.

I have tried to access the Admin page but it's asking for a user name and password and I honestly don't recall setting one up. Any idea's?

The router I'm using is a D-Link (DI524) and I believe my brother is using a Lynksys? I'm not sure but I'll find out tomorrow.

This sounds simple BUT would unscrewing the Antenna off do the trick?

Thanks for the help!

~e
 
Well I know the default on Linksys routers is no user name and the password of "admin".

I'm aware that you do not have a linksys router but it may be the same for dlink.

Regardless, the information will be in the instructions of your router and probably in the online support documents.
 
eclipse525 said:
thanks for all the feedback.

I have tried to access the Admin page but it's asking for a user name and password and I honestly don't recall setting one up. Any idea's?

The router I'm using is a D-Link (DI524) and I believe my brother is using a Lynksys? I'm not sure but I'll find out tomorrow.

This sounds simple BUT would unscrewing the Antenna off do the trick?

Thanks for the help!

~e
Click to expand...
You should be able to reset the router. There should be a reset button on it somewhere if the password in the documentation does not work.
 
eclipse525 said:
The router I'm using is a D-Link (DI524)...

Thanks for the help!

~e
Click to expand...

I have this router. you definitely can shut off the wireless entirely. Goto 192.168.0.1 in your browser, and the default username should be admin with a blank password. You can always hard reset the router by reinstalling the software for it and running the wizard, but that would require a Windows computer. There's a radio checkbox under the wireless panel for toggling the wireless on and off.
 
EricNau said:
I think for D-Link wireless routers, these are the default settings...

username: admin
password: (blank)
Click to expand...

Cool that worked and I got access to the Admin section. So, here's two funny things... WAN is disabled. There doesn't seem to be any wireless activities going on. Still he's getting my network name showing up on his computer.

The other thing is that I though my brother was using Linksys wireless router BUT in fact he's using an Airport Express as his Wireless access point. Could this be the problem? I actually didn't even think of using a Airport Express as the main wireless access point but hell, it works for him. LOL! Anyway, any idea's?

~e
 
eclipse525 said:
Ok... i've just encountered this little problem but first the set up....

I have a Mac & Windows machine plugged into a wireless router. At the moment I do not use the wireless capabilites on either machine so they are hardwired into the router. My brother lives an apartment right downstairs (two family house w/separate internet cable lines) and has a wireless router as well but does indeed use his wireless capabilites to connect his iMac. Just recently, he calls me up and tells that his Mac is connected to my wireless network and that it's cancelling his own wireless network. Does anyone know how to correct this issue? I'm at a loss! Thanks for any help!


~e
Click to expand...

That's not a mystery. Most computers ship with cards that will automatically connect to the nearest open network. If the signal strength in his apartment between him and his router is weaker than the signal strength between his computer and your router, it will automatically connect to your network (assuming it's open). This is an issue in both Mac and Windows, and to some extent, I've heard Linux as well.
 
eclipse525 said:
Cool that worked and I got access to the Admin section. So, here's two funny things... WAN is disabled. There doesn't seem to be any wireless activities going on. Still he's getting my network name showing up on his computer.
Click to expand...
Do you mean you disabled "WLAN" (not WAN)? If you disabled WAN, then chances are you just disabled your internet.

What do you mean by "showing up on his computer"? Is it still displayed as an available network? Can he connect to it? If not, it's possible that his computer just keeps a list of past networks, and yours is one of them. If he can connect, check these two things:
1) Did you save your settings when you disabled WAN?
2) What is your SSID? If you used the default name, it is possible (although unlikely) that a neighbor has a D-Link router also, and now your brother is receiving their signal.

The other thing is that I though my brother was using Linksys wireless router BUT in fact he's using an Airport Express as his Wireless access point. Could this be the problem? I actually didn't even think of using a Airport Express as the main wireless access point but hell, it works for him. LOL! Anyway, any idea's?

~e
Click to expand...
I use my Airport Express as a Wireless AP. It works great. :)
 
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