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So someone is stealing my internet

T

thekernal

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 14, 2006
2
0
Hi guys...I just realized that there's about 3 or so people 'sharing' my wireless internet connection. Now I know I can turn up the security and set a password to connect and whatnot- but before I do that, is there anyway to sort of 'scare' them a little for stealing my internet. I just read this: http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html and that looks like a perfect solution. But it does seem complicated and difficult. So what I'm asking is that is there anyway I can redirect the people who are stealing my internet to to a page that says something to the effect that "You're stealing the internet, the police have been notified...yada yada yada or some other method and scare them? my router is a motorola wr850g and I'm on a g5 Imac.

Thanks for the help guys,
Mike
 
thekernal said:
Hi guys...I just realized that there's about 3 or so people 'sharing' my wireless internet connection. Now I know I can turn up the security and set a password to connect and whatnot- but before I do that, is there anyway to sort of 'scare' them a little for stealing my internet. I just read this: http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html and that looks like a perfect solution. But it does seem complicated and difficult. So what I'm asking is that is there anyway I can redirect the people who are stealing my internet to to a page that says something to the effect that "You're stealing the internet, the police have been notified...yada yada yada or some other method and scare them? my router is a motorola wr850g and I'm on a g5 Imac.

Thanks for the help guys,
Mike
Click to expand...

I would focus your energy on securing that wireless, if I were you.

If your iMac is near the router, use a cable and disable the wireless.
 
Better yet - Share the bandwidth but make them pay for their part. Get the "widest" broadband you can get and share it with the others. You will each get a much faster broadband together for the same buck than you can buy individually.
Send them an email and say that you will have your WiFi password protected in a few days, but you are willing to share given they pay for their own part.
 
Nothing like a little face to face confrontation.

Leave a little note taped to their door or something that says "I know."

Then, the next day, put another one that says "You are a theif."

Then, "This must stop."

etc.

See how long it takes for them to realize what is going on and also if they ever stop or apologize. Leave little drawings of you with a halo over your head using the computer, then signals going from near your computer to their computer, with them sitting in front of it, and horns and a pointy tail on them, like satan. :D

I dunno, I need sleep. :eek:
 
The password idea probably won't work, since these dorks will just share it between them.

I'd either just lock down the network (either with a strong password you keep to yourself, or my locking down to only work with certain MAC addresses), or randomly lock down the network by MAC address just to jerk them around and annoy them before you cut them off.
 
Try something like this:
attachment.php
 

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sometimes I think you guys assume that everyone is mischievous but in actuality some people are just ignorant or lazy.

My little sister for example is on whatever network it connects her to first. She's not trying to steal anything, she just does on accident. Sometimes I go and fix it or try to make it easier, but nothing is ever full proof and when she moves its a whole new adventure.
 
thekernal said:
Now I know I can turn up the security and set a password to connect and whatnot- but before I do that, is there anyway to sort of 'scare' them a little for stealing my internet.
Click to expand...


good lord, its not stealing if you're broadcasting it into their rooms. would you accuse somebody of eavesdropping if they heard you yelling at the top of your lungs?

just get off your butt and secure it if you don't want other people using it.

if you did that post-it note idea to me, i would punch you in the face. being passive-aggressive doesn't solve any problems.

edit: okay, that link is pretty funny. if you want to play a joke on somebody that's one thing. but please don't act like you're going to report them to the fbi for "stealing" what you're giving away
 
Kwyjibo said:
sometimes I think you guys assume that everyone is mischievous but in actuality some people are just ignorant or lazy.

My little sister for example is on whatever network it connects her to first. She's not trying to steal anything, she just does on accident. Sometimes I go and fix it or try to make it easier, but nothing is ever full proof and when she moves its a whole new adventure.
Click to expand...

you make a good point... just set the WEP key and be done with it...

i seriously doubt your neighbors will ever be sucking up any of your bandwidth again...
 
It is me, I admit it.

Don't you dare turn off my porn.
attachment.php


However, for $50 I will buy a few DVDs -- and stop using your connection.
 
savar said:
good lord, its not stealing if you're broadcasting it into their rooms. would you accuse somebody of eavesdropping if they heard you yelling at the top of your lungs?

just get off your butt and secure it if you don't want other people using it.

if you did that post-it note idea to me, i would punch you in the face. being passive-aggressive doesn't solve any problems.

edit: okay, that link is pretty funny. if you want to play a joke on somebody that's one thing. but please don't act like you're going to report them to the fbi for "stealing" what you're giving away
Click to expand...

I either mis-stated my intention or you misunderstood me...but I'm not reporting them to anyone...I just want to scare them and mess around with them so that maybe they'll think twice about using someone elses internet. I don't want anyone to get in trouble here...I just want to cause them some grief.
 
I know there's a way to send little messages over the network in DOS, but I don't know how to do it with macs. You send a message to an IP address on your network and it pops up as a little box with an OK button for them. I remember in high school I always used to send fake error messages to other people in the building, what a little rat I was..
 
adk said:
I know there's a way to send little messages over the network in DOS, but I don't know how to do it with macs. You send a message to an IP address on your network and it pops up as a little box with an OK button for them.
Click to expand...


You mean Net Send? You can send those messages from Mac OS X to a Windows computer, but not to a Mac.

Open Terminal and type
Code: 
smbclient -M *1* -I *2* -U *3*

replacing *1* with the Windows Hostname, *2* with the IP Address (optional), and *3* with the "from" username... but it needs to be one word. After you type that, hit enter, and it should say"Connected. Type your message......... press Control+D when finished."

I remember in high school I always used to send fake error messages to other people in the building, what a little rat I was..
Click to expand...

Same... it's kinda fun. Ever tried doing
Code: 
 net send * Notice: Your computer has a virus.  Please reboot and jump up and down on one leg and pray to the Microsoft gods that your computer works.
from your personal laptop and then running like hell? Some kid did that on the second to last day. It was amazing to see that people listened.
 
well aside from the obviose of turning on your security :rolleyes:

Do a search for a wireless printer on your network hooked up to one of their machines and send them scary print jobs.
 
Haha. This is great. I alsways thought I'd have a problem like this. By was I wrong. Our house has a tin room and something in the walls reception can be really bad somethings. If I ever get a macbook I'd be really interested in seeing how far I could go. If i were you I'd see if you can find the IP addresses of these computers and than if you cna (and they're running windows) paste random documents into their shared documents folder. Muhahaha, revenge is sweet.

EDIT: I actaully made the security so high I disconnected and couldn't get back on for about half a day.
 
Internet Borrowing

I'd either just lock down the network (either with a strong password you keep to yourself, or my locking down to only work with certain MAC addresses), or randomly lock down the network by MAC address just to jerk them around and annoy them before you cut them off.
Click to expand...

I love playing with my neighbors. They are CHEAP bastards!

I was poking around on my router one day and found a couple of new mac addresses that were connected. So I go on the router and dissallow those mac addresses from connecting to my router.

A few days later, the kid next door asks if he can use my computer because his is broken. The father tells me a few days after that that his kid broke the internet and he needs to get his buddy over to look at it. I offered my services and he refused. He said his buddy installed it and would look at it. Too Funny!

I leave my networks open so friends can come over and use the internet (doing homework or whatever) without me having to give out keys. I find the mac address route the easiest. You should be able to allow only the mac addresses on your PC's to connect, so only you can connect to the router.

Mike...
 
I would do something quick. What if they download illegal movies(underage porn). You would be in trouble or at least get a visit from the police.
 
Well I'd just nail it down to MAC addresses but that's just me.

I have our SSID set to the address of the house so people know where it's coming from, if they want to share all they need to do is ask.

My logs however show that no-one has ever connected.
 
emotion said:
Well I'd just nail it down to MAC addresses but that's just me.
Click to expand...
this is good advice, and easy to set up. and you dont have to worry about WEP, WPA, and all those acronyms
 
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