How can I prevent my Wi-Fi connecting...

[SyllogismCheck]

... to my neighbours network?

Whilst the majority of wi-fi questions here are regarding poor or complete lack of connection, mine is of the opposite nature. My laptop keeps hopping from my network to my neighbours and back, diconnecting me from whatever I'm connected to in the process. I've told my neighbour his network is wide open but he seems to like it that way (and, admittedly, it's also rather handy if my ISP has an outage) so does nothing about it.

I've removed his network from the 'Preferred networks' list in my 'Wireless Network Connection Properties' but it reappears on the list at the next reboot, if not before.

I can't see a way of preventing my machine from randomly connecting to any available, unsecured connection that may be present. Is there a simple check box for 'Do not connect to XXXXXXX's Network' to prevent this or one for 'Only connect to Syllogism Check's Network' to keep it locked to mine?
I suspect I'm missing something very simple.

My gratitude to anyone able to highlight my stupidity.

[Conan the Librarian]

There is a simple answer I am sure. I will try a few things out and get back. If it doesn't work, cancel the account with your ISP and go for Gold.

Sad as I am, if I take my PDA out for a jaunt (GPS you see) and am sitting in the car picking my nose, it is always educative to see what is available and you would be amazed. I don't know about the paranioa about cellphone sites, but we are being zapped by wireless networks too.

Will look more closely when able.

Conan

[SyllogismCheck]

Thanks Conan. I did consider the 'sharing' option but you can bet your bottom dollar that the day mine's disconnected he goes all security conscious on his. Banging on his door demanding he turns the internet back on may be a touch brash.


You're not alone, I too 'borrow' a little bandwidth from time to time. Never intentionally, I'm always trying to use my mobile, at great expense, to connect... honest.

[Conan the Librarian]

SC, worry thee not. Going to take a few hours for me, but better brains are on tap. We will sort it out on the morrow


Conan

[SyllogismCheck]

Much appreciated. No major panic though as it's been going on for some time anyway. Tonight however I reached that 'Grrrrrrrr!' point as it kept interrupting a conversation. Neither can I help myself as I can't find a search string that provides decent results from Google.

Anything you discover, whenever you discover it will be fantastic, thanks.

[under_exposed]

You could point out that if your neighbour's network is used to download something nasty it will be to him the police turn.

[TightSlot]

Apologies if this is too obvious but:-

Open the "Network Properties" for your Wireless Network:



Select the "Wireless networks" Tab



Select "Advanced" and you get this



"automtically connect to non-preferred networks" should not be checked

I have never posted techie advice before and am horribly nervous about doing so, but you never know - it may work!!!

[SyllogismCheck]

I don't know why you're nervous, I think you've pointed me entirely in the right direction there, Tightslot.

Unfortunately, that box is already unchecked BUT I haven't tried fiddling with the check mark in the 'Networks to access' selection above yet. I shall try moving it down a line from 'Any available network (access point preferred)' to 'Access point (infrastructure) networks only' and see what happens. I have absolutely no idea what that means but at least it moves me away from the 'Any network' situation. I shall report back.

Thanks Tightslot.

[hobie]

A buddie of mine has just put in a new XXXX laptop ......

anyway, she quickly detected a Broadband signal from the peeps house next door .... popped round to borrow their password and bingo ... off she goes with a BB connection in her own house (isn't it nice to have good neighbours )

but as indicated above ... if her fav nephew etc pops round and downloads who knows what, there could be trouble so it's only a temp situation till she gets her own BB connection ....

[ExSimGuy]

Originally Posted by SyllogismCheck

'Access point (infrastructure) networks only' and see what happens. I have absolutely no idea what that means

Probably not a help, as the neighbour's systemis probably an "access point". This is the usual stup when you (or your neighbour!) have a wireless router and connect to it with wireless PCs - normally for internet sharing.

"Ad Hoc" is usually only used where you have 2 PCs in the office and want to share files between them

[SyllogismCheck]

Well, I've checked the box I mentioned and, as yet, no switching. His network is on as well, it's present when I 'View available networks'. Let's hope it's no fluke.

There you go, TightSlot, you were spot on it seems.

[MyData]

This thread interested me, with my professional hat on. Info security is my business for big banks, airlines, govt etc. There is so much paranoia about making wi-fi networks security (in a nutshell: they ain't - businesses use a VPN to have a secure transport layer - but I digress).

To hear of neighbours who have open networks, and then freely and knowingly allow connections is staggering! Many may be simply for home use, but how many of these people are working from home with their corporate laptop connecting into the local wi-fi hot spot?

Regarding nefarious downloads - the authorities would have to demonstrate where the target data ended up. If the ISP demonstrated that a traced IP connection ended at your access point / router then that would give them a lead to your house and you might get your kit confiscated while it is scanned. At that point you might be wise to 'fess up that you also have an open and shared access point so that it may be monitored to point to the real purpitrator and get you off the hook. I'm not certain about the details of the law regarding computing devices used for transfering data in criminal acts but it can't be too onerous otherwise every router on the internet backbone would be confiscated.

To 'hide' your home network you can take some simple steps: Don't broadcast the SSID (the network name), restrict access to known MAC addresses (the lowlevel hardware address of your network cards), use encryption and a shared key between the router / access point and the laptop / pc. Make the key as long and cryptic as possible. Log access. If possible physically switch off the wlan when it isn't needed.

This is like securing your house - it isn't perfect and a determined attacker will get through - but in most cases they will move on to the house next door.

[Founder]

Enable a WEP password to your wireless router and there should also be some kind of access list where you can type in the MAC Adress'es of the network cards that should be accepted by the router to enter the network.

How to do all of these things should be found in the manual that came with your wireless router...

I can strongly reccomend you buying a Mac with an Airport Extreme router, it's very easy to configure and you'll be up and running in no time with a system that never needs restarting... it'll also work with you're excisting PC's...

[SyllogismCheck]

I assure you, Founder, my network is very secure. It doesn't broadcast its SSID and it's restricted to to only the MAC addresses I've listed. As for WEP, I haven't bothered since apparently, now the algorithim is public knowledge, less than a minute sees those who wish to be so through that particular 'security' measure.

The problem was that I was ending up on my neighbours unsecured network rather than on my own. All sorted now anyway, just a case of checking a different box to make my machine a little less prone to using any connection it could get it's hands on as I moved around the house.

[The Nr Fairy]

SC:

Try configuring WPA rather than WEP - more secure, and as MyData says people looking for open access points will find enough to keep them busy without trying to crack yours.

[Fat Dog]

Stopping the 'Wireless Zero Configuration' (WZC) service will solve your problem.

See here - http://paininthetech.com/disable_wir..._in_windows_xp

Note that windows will no longer find any other networks if you do this, so if you move the machine around and wish to connect to a new network, you'll have to re enable WZC.

Hope this helps.

FD

[Founder]

Originally Posted by SyllogismCheck

I assure you, Founder, my network is very secure. It doesn't broadcast its SSID and it's restricted to to only the MAC addresses I've listed. As for WEP, I haven't bothered since apparently, now the algorithim is public knowledge, less than a minute sees those who wish to be so through that particular 'security' measure.

The problem was that I was ending up on my neighbours unsecured network rather than on my own. All sorted now anyway, just a case of checking a different box to make my machine a little less prone to using any connection it could get it's hands on as I moved around the house.

ah, sorry about that, I probably missunderstood the question...

[rugmuncher]

Hi, sorry if you've fixed the snag already, but,, from reading the thread and some of the suggestions felt I had to step in,,,

Bring up the window for WIRELESS NETWORK CONNECTION PROPERTIES,

Tab WIRELESS NETWORKS,

HIGHLIGHT the connection you want to deal with,

Then click PROPERTIES,

TAB connections,

UN-TICK the box saying "connect when this network is in range".

Don't go messing around with other in-depth setting as previously suggested,
otherwise you may not be able to configure your own connection settings wirelessley.

Keep it simple and just work the network you don't want connecting.