Secure or not ? Seems I'm not anymore !!

[Dizzy]

Bit shocked as having switched the pc I just got a right telling off from my son as I also apparently closed down the connection to his Ipod Touch which he uses NEWS TO ME !!!!!

 

Having never set up wireless connection on my pc how on earth is he connecting through my pc He has no idea either as he says it just works but if I switch off his goes too

 

OK so we have a buffallo air station router attached but this is hard wired in and additional cables go through the ceiling purely to enable him to use his xbox online. Wireless was never enabled.

 

Infact since having my computer flattened and reinstalled at a local computer shop I haven't even reinstalled the router software and it no longer appears in my task bar as being inactive or active but still works anyway and I presumed that that was as it was just being used like an extension socket for the extra cables

 

So how come all of a sudden we seen to have magically acquired wireless connection capabilities without the need for any passwords or security checks and despite having firewalls and other such software installed

 

Blummin heck..... anyone want to connect for free then just sit outside mine and you have free access whenever I am awake

 

Technology (or someone or something) seems to have got the better of me all of a sudden......

 

Any ideas how I can make it more secure whilst still allowing my son to use his IPod wirelessley

[Peter T]

Go ask the man up Walton Road.

[Dizzy]

[Peter T]

DSC or DCS. Opposite the chipper on the corner.

[inky pete]

Sounds like your router has its wireless enabled as a default, and since you've never set it up and used it you've never set up any encryption on it.

 

Log on to your router and take a look. You can do that by entering it's IP address on your home network into the URL bar of your browser. Many home routers will have the address 192.168.0.1, and a lot of them also have the default user ID "system" with a password of "admin".

 

Once you've properly secured and encrypted your router, you can give the encryption key to the offspring for him to put into his iPod. (or not, if you so choose!)

[Dizzy]

That's the bit I don't get Inky..... my buffalo router used to appear on my task bar and I did originally set it up to be non wireless. Well truth be known we couldn't get it working so and never needed wireless anyway so left it disabled. It definately DID NOT work.

 

Anyway had major problems with my pc about 6 months ago and had it completely wiped clean by the computer shop and it came back with a new version of xp and windows 2002 and NO other software at all.

 

I have checked and checked again and my buffallo router software is nowhere to be found and I'm sure I never actually reinstalled it but it just worked when we plugged it all back in. Like I said it's hard wired so is just being used like an extension socket I suppose. I can't find any way of logging onto it as it's not there

 

Very odd and it's really frustrating me now.... it must be something obvious but I can't figure it out.

[Ian]

I`m no whizz on these things but I would suggest that you dont have wireless by the fact that your sons Ipod loses connection when you switch off the computer. I`m not sure about this but is it possible that your sons Ipod is connecting to your computer via a bluetooth connection.

Just a thought, as I say I`m no whizz on these matters.

BR

Ian

[wolfie]

Wouldn't you need a bluetooth dongle connected to your PC for that?

 

And doesn't a Wireless router have a Wlan led on it? If the WLAN led is glowing then it means Wireless is enabled.

[Bill]

Either that or some kinds of Wi-Fi connection but both these options are normally only common on laptops but I think Dizz has a standalone PC.

 

Either way, the router probably won?t come into the equation and it?s probably down to the way the network?s been set up to allow shareing.

 

Bill

[Dizzy]

Hi Ian... thanks for the suggestions.

 

I have no bluetooth connector on my pc so it would not be possible for him to connect that way.

 

Sorry... I should have said 'when I unplug' my computer rather than 'when I switch it off'.... as it seems he can still connect as long as the extension lead is plugged in which powers the pc and the router (ie the pc does not have to be physically switched on).

 

Just as an added bit on info... the broadband connection is virgin media (cable).

 

I'm now wondering if it may be something to do with virgin medias antivirus/firewall and security centre which I downloaded some months back.

 

Having scrolled down all my installed programmes there is 'Virgin Security Centre' but also something else called 'Virgin Media Hub'. When I click on the latter it gives the option to 'install vm's security (which I already have abyway?) and two more options which say 'Start VM's Hub' and 'Stop VM's Hub'. I clicked on it but it just gives a blank box ???? Will see what effect it has on my sons ipod when he gets home.

 

I also noticed another piece of software that is running/installed called 'Microsoft Wireless Zero Configuration' and I seem to have 'Remote Assistance' installed too but that seems to be disabled. Presume these must have been installed by the computer shop when they flattened and redid my pc.

 

Anyway it will give me something to do later tonight eh and if no-one hears from me again it means I've buggered up my internet connection

[inky pete]

If your lad can only connect to the internet from an iPod Touch whenever your router is powered on - whether or not your PC is powered on - but cannot ever do so when the router is powered off, then he is definitely connecting via the wireless on your router.

 

You don't necessarily need your Buffalo software to log onto and administer your router, you just need it's IP address with regard to your network (quite possibly 192.168.0.1) plus the username and password for it (maybe, admin/system).

 

Once in, you'll be able to drive the router's internal software via your browser to configure your network, your wireless, your encryption, and your internet connection.

 

Have you tried phoning Virgin to get them to talk you through it? I've never spoken to them personally, so I don't know how good their tech support is.

[Dizzy]

Hi Bill and Wolfie

 

Wasn't ignoring your posts as they weren't there when I started typing my reply to Ian.... gosh I must have typed and submitted that one rather slowly

 

Wolfie Cant see a WLAN light but not entirely sure what it should look like There is a green light showing power? (ie a circle with a little line at the top) and a greeg 'g' lit.. but nothing else.

 

Would the WLAN light only light up if my son was connected too?

 

Can't try to connect it or anything else at the moment as he's out and his blummin IPOD has a password on it and I can't guess it

 

Bill my actual pc is as you say a standalone pc and it definately does not have and internal WI-FI connector.

 

So who has shared me then and why

 

Inky Thanks too I'll see if I can connect to my router setup in the way you suggest

 

Can't try anything else though until I hack into his ipod

[Bazj]

If your Buffalo router is attached via USB to your PC, when your PC is switched off, the router will lose its power as it may be powered via the USB cable from your PC.

 

There is sometimes an option to shut down USB devices that are attached to a computer when the computer is powered down

[Dizzy]

Router is powered by being plugged into the extension lead.

 

Here's how it's all set up.

 

Virgins cable comes through the wall to a small box. One cable from the box goes to the V+ box (TV)

 

the other cable goes to the broadband modem which is plugged into a normal plug socket near the tv. If that's not plugged in the internet WILL NOT work.

 

A Broadband ?RS thingy? cable then comes out of broadband modem.... goes under carpet... and pops up in the other room near my PC.

 

This cable then goes into the router. (which is plugged in via it's own plug socket and not powered by the pc)

 

Out of the router is another cable that then goes into the back of my PC

 

and also another cable that they goes up through the ceiling into my sons bedroom for his hard wired xbox connection.

 

Sounds a bit like spaghetti junction eh... but you can't see any of them as I planned my route well

 

PS Inky... I tried the ip address you gave but it didn't do anything so I tried 192.168.11.1 and that did take me to an 'Airstation' connection but the username/passwords wouldn't work. I also tried 'root' as the username and left the password blank but that wont let me in either.

 

Could be a long and sleepless night

[inky pete]

He's not got a wireless adapator on his Xbox - has he? Or is he plugging the iPod into the Xbox? (don't know if that's possible since I own neither)

 

If so, he could be connecting via that.

[Evil Sid]

in the control panel of mine there is a wireless setup wizard. i have never used it as i do not have a wireless router (yet) it may be that when the shop have reinstalled all the software they have set up a wireless network on it to make sure everything works as it should.

 

they may have assumed that most people have some wireless connected equipment in their home and set the system to on as default.

 

don't know how you can check this though.

[Peter T]

Like I said take it to the shop, or go and ask them first.

[Dizzy]

He's not got a wireless adapator on his Xbox - has he? Or is he plugging the iPod into the Xbox? (don't know if that's possible since I own neither)

 

If so, he could be connecting via that.

 

Nope his xbox is hard wired as the wireless dongle would have been ?50 He rarely has his xbox on anyway but it's definately not that and he is not plugged into anything. Thats just reminded me I forgot to ask him the blummin password for his ipod before he went out this morning....