WIFI Detect Program -- anything out there?

[Jim2121]

Anyone know of a way for me to detect if someone is trying to get/access into my WIFI? Any Programs or Programs with pop-up-windows, or sound notifications?
Thanks Jim

[Wowbagger]

First, we would need to know what you are using to provide the WiFi in the first place - what make and model is your access point?

Second, if you are concerned about such things, I would suggest configuring your access point to use WPA2+AES. That would pretty much prevent anybody from accessing it without having been given the key by you.

For extra points, rather than using WPA2 Pre-shared keying, you use WPA2 + EAP and use something like a FreeRadius server - that way you give every person you want to have access a password on the FreeRadius server, and then you can track who does what when.

[Jim2121]

One PC has WinXP (SP3) with a Linksys router and a with a WEP key or WPA... let me get more info.for you....

Its a question I'm posting for a friend, so he has a Linksys router, with good encription keys.
And a software firewall, AV program ect... Just wants to know if a program exists that will let him know if someone is trying to connect to his WIFI...via pop up window? (I'll get more info later, were all on the late shift) thanks for your input WB..... Jim

[thebigphish]

If the router was capable of running a syslog (i know the higher tier linksys vpn units are), or publishing syslog entries to a logging server, you could theoretically tell it to publish any access attempts to the syslog @ a particular level & recieve local alerts by it to what ever computer you are running....everything i was suggesting would require a *nix environment, or someone who was mad smooth with windows server hardware.

sorry, in advance, i think i went way past what you wanted.

[Jim2121]

thanks ish! I guess logging will work for now, .... thx for the replies! Jim

[Pj]

For the ultimate quick deterrent, WEP/WPA/whatever with MAC filtering. Yes, you can get around those, but for the casual people looking to hop on an open router in a neighborhood...they will most likely move on.

[JAYMZ]

Copper is the most secure you are going to get. If someone wants into your router THAT badly, they'll get there. MAC addresses are easy enough to dupe... and most consumer routers/accesspoints don't have that strong of encryption.

Watch your logs. And make sure the rest of your network is authentication based. This way some cracker sitting in your driveway doesn't have access to files or computers on your network.

[Jim2121]

ok JAYMZ and thx for the reply. will just keep an eye on the logs.... Jim

[motorola_otaku]

For the ultimate quick deterrent, WEP/WPA/whatever with MAC filtering. Yes, you can get around those, but for the casual people looking to hop on an open router in a neighborhood...they will most likely move on.

True story: when I was up in Baltimore in August, I stayed at the Marriott Inner Harbor and packed a Linksys WRT54G router to hook my friends up with wifi off the in-room LAN. Within about 30 seconds of having it plugged in, before even getting it set up on a network with outside-world access, 6 people had jumped on like ticks.. and even after enabling WPA2 Personal/AES they still got in and even bypassed DHCP. MAC filtering finally locked it down. Lesson learned: don't play games with your wifi in the vicinity of large nerd gatherings. I guess next year we'll be running a VPN.

[Jim2121]

No I believe you! gets a little confusing, you locked it down with MAC filtering -- JAYMZ post says: MAC addresses are easy enough to dupe... I got an email asking the top post if theres a program? if someone connects or trys to connect, can it notify you with a pop up window...ect. I know of no programs? thx for the reply otaku.....Jim