Wireless router hacked?

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I got a linskys N WRT 160N router. The past few days, our wifi devices are unable to connect. We are getting "limited to no connectivity" for my laptop and 2nd desktop. My network is broadcasting, mac filtered, WPA secruity, with a password not in the dictionary. My wireless router is on 24 hrs a day. However, I decided to change the "maximum number of users" in my linskys router settings from "2" to "5". The USB wifi device connected immediately to my router. So I told my wife, I was going to change it back to "2" maximum number of users. She lost connection right away as "limited or no connectivity". I changed it to "3" maximum of users and she got connected right away. Am I oversimplifying this? or are there 2 other people connected to my wireless router? I'm a likely target as I have the most powerful router in my apartment complex. I'm thinking of unplugging my router when I go to bed every night. What do you guys think?

P.S Oh ya, I tried rebooting my cable and wireless modems, restarting the computer, and I still got that dreaded limited to no connectivity. It wasn't until I changed the maximum number of users is when the wifi connected to my wireless router right away.
 
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Set your wireless router back to the factory defaults. It's possible that the firmware in that router has problems with releasing clients it hasn't "heard" from in a while. I had a Linksys and a Belkin that did that a lot.
 
Also, you should be able to bring up the DHCP clients in your router's administrative screens. That shows who is connected to the router at the present time. Delete anyone you don't recognize and check it again tomorrow.

Don't forget stuff that isn't a computer per se, like a gaming console (Wii, XBox, etc.) or an iPod Touch or other wireless device.
 
Originally Posted By: Nyquist
Set your wireless router back to the factory defaults. It's possible that the firmware in that router has problems with releasing clients it hasn't "heard" from in a while. I had a Linksys and a Belkin that did that a lot.


interesting. My linksys router and Belkin USB G. hmm, but they are used almost everyday though.
 
u can check who is logged on in real time. that should tell u if u were hacked.
I agree with the replies above. firmware sucks and does not release properly
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Also, you should be able to bring up the DHCP clients in your router's administrative screens. That shows who is connected to the router at the present time.


Any idea what exactly I'm looking for in case of a Mac (OS X 10.4.11) with an AirPort wireless router?

Is that it? If so, what can I expect to see if my neighbor is using my router? A green status light next to his base station icon?

2monjtt.jpg


This shows my router active and my neighbor's router. I can log on to his router...
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Any idea what exactly I'm looking for in case of a Mac (OS X 10.4.11) with an AirPort wireless router?

You're looking for something called "device list" or "DHCP client list". On that list, you basically want to see if your router is communicating with a MAC address which you don't recognize (another words, a MAC address which does not match any of your home network cards/adapters).
 
You need to login to the webpages of your router and look at the page that tells you who is connected and with what IP address.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Any idea what exactly I'm looking for in case of a Mac (OS X 10.4.11) with an AirPort wireless router?

You're looking for something called "device list" or "DHCP client list". On that list, you basically want to see if your router is communicating with a MAC address which you don't recognize (another words, a MAC address which does not match any of your home network cards/adapters).


What about those who clone my mac address? I checked last night, it said my belkin usb G was connected, but I had my wife turn that computer off.
 
If they clone your mac then both of your will get into issues if you are on at the same time. Also the connection will stay on until the DHCP lease expired (usually 1 day).

Some devices like game console, USB printer server, network attached storage, iPhone (maybe), etc may be network connected and eat up a DHCP slot.

I had a poorly designed USB printer server once that keep getting DHCP from my DSL provider, and used up all 5 they provide. My NAS/SAN device said on the manual that it will use 4 for no apparent reason.
 
Hit your router admin page (usually http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1 ) and find the IP addresses it handed out on the "active" table, then ping those IPs from your machine. Unless they have a very tight firewall you should get a response... the leftovers are "zombies".
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Hit your router admin page (usually http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1 ) and find the IP addresses it handed out on the "active" table, then ping those IPs from your machine. Unless they have a very tight firewall you should get a response... the leftovers are "zombies".


Can you explain that a little more, please?

1. How do I find my router administration page? The ones you list don't work (How could they?).
2. How do I "ping" IP addresses?
 
192.168.x.x is the local IP range, and usually the router assigns itself the "lowest" number that makes sense to it. Look your router up on google for its default address.

That is not its wide-area-network IP... Though you can configure some routers from the WAN it opens a huge hole for hacking and is not recommended.

Other default router IPs can be

http://192.168.1.100
http://192.168.0.100
http://192.168.100.1

edit: You look like you're running an airport express, their default IP is (maybe) http://10.0.1.1 ; that is another local IP range. Looks like the airport express is more a "dumb" wifi transmitter that doesn't do traditional "routing" and DHCP assignments but rather passes through ones from a router or your ISP.
 
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Seeing your screen grab it may be apple does things differently and you do use the config tool you were showing us.

Cheezy mass market all-in-one routers and wifi access points use a web interface as described; grab your tablet pc and go mooch off a neighbor and I bet you'll get something.
wink.gif
 
According to some info I found on a Mac forum what I need to access this type info is in the "AirPort Management Tools." I downloaded that software and a pop-up claimed I needed AirPort 3.4. I do have Airport Express 7.3.2.

Whatever info I find is written in technical gobbledigook that torques me off. For each tidbit I find I have to look up and find out about three more issues. Each step forward results in three steps backwards. It never ends. GAH!
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Mac, it just works... j/k

Is there a way to open a screen to see your DHCP info? There should be.


Panda, it's just that I am clueless when it comes to computers.
grin2.gif


As I said, I looked around on Mac forums and what they said I need to do doesn't work.

I do have:
- AirPort Admin. Utility
- AirPort Disk Utility
- AirPort Utility

I do NOT have the "AirPort Management Tools Utility," and I don't know if there even is one for my AirPort. When I downloaded what I believed to be the correct version of the "AirPort Management Tools Utility, a pop-up window said I needed "AirPort 3.4." I do have AirPort 7.3.2!

Here they are talking about it in the context of something called Drobo:
http://www.drobospace.com/article/10425/Share-Drobo-on-a-Network--Apple-Airport-Extreme/?page=2

Quote:
I'm still using my Drobo v1 plugged into the AEBS unit. I always pull up the Airport management tool, and hit "Disconnect Users", but I don't think I've seen the drobo go into sleep mode (or whatever it's called).


I do not find the "AirPort Management Tools Utility" anywhere, and as I mentioned, the one that I downloaded does not work.

Since all the Mac guys remain silent, I hold out little hope here...
 
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