A-How-To: Checking Your Wireless Network for Outside Users...

Intro

Wireless security is very important these days. You don't want anyone stealing your bandwidth or getting into your network to perform malicious attacks on your computer. This is a guide to help you know when someone else is on your wireless network. Since every wireless router is different, this article will discuss the basics and use one of the most popular wireless routers, the Linksys WRT310N as an example. The steps for your router may differ. This guide assumes you are connected to your router (either through a network cable or over its wireless signal) correctly.

Note: First, get a pen and paper, and create a list of all computers/devices that use wifi/wireless in your home or that will be using it and write them down.

Steps

1. Open your web browser and input your default gateway's IP address. To find this:

Go to Start > run, and type cmdType ipconfig and press enter. It will list the default gateway here. Once you have your default gateway address, open your web browser and type it in the URL bar [See figure below].

2. Input your router's username and password in the pop-up login window [See figure below].

3. Click on the "Status" tab and then on "Local Network" just below the main tabs [See figure below].

4. Click the button that says "DHCP Clients Table". This list will tell you the computer name of everyone connected to your network on DHCP (DHCP automatically configures a computer's IP and DNS settings. This only works if everyone connected uses DHCP. If someone connects and uses their own static address, then this will not show them.) [See figure below]

5. You may also check the router's log file to see what users are going through the router. (Note: From the Router's user interface you will probably have a setting to log Users enable it if not already).

6. Click on the main "Administration" tab and then "Log" just below the main tabs [See figure above].

7. Click on the "View Log" button to bring up a window that will display log entries [See figure below].

From time to time check the log to see if any unknown client names or addresses show up. If so, then someone is leeching off your internet connection, through your wireless router.

Note: There are tons of web pages that provide content on how to make your wireless router more secure.

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