Other Networks

[Gordomac]

Embarassed to ask on here but value considerable expertise shown by fellows as opposed to other search engines ;

Where it says "Other Networks", are those trying to get into me or are they just other networks in the area ? Why does it give the option to " connect automatically" ?. I can canx that but it just comes back with the window ticked.

Blimey, hated FBW but getting a A340 from Bahrain to Manilla by finger tapping was easier !

Thanks clever people.

[SimonPaddo]

Assume this is wireless in phone/tablet/laptop. If so I think it will show you the available visible networks. If you don’t want any of those, the one you want isn’t broadcasting its SSID. Then you can enter your own network SSID and credentials for the desired hidden network. Voila. Hope this helps, if any of this is incorrect, this being pprune, there will be lots of posts inbound.

[netstruggler]

Originally Posted by Gordomac

Embarassed to ask on here but value considerable expertise shown by fellows as opposed to other search engines ;

Where it says "Other Networks", are those trying to get into me or are they just other networks in the area ? Why does it give the option to " connect automatically" ?. I can canx that but it just comes back with the window ticked.

Blimey, hated FBW but getting a A340 from Bahrain to Manilla by finger tapping was easier !

Thanks clever people.

If you select "Connect Automatically" then the next time you walk into range of this WiFi network your device will [try to] connect to it without you having to select it.

[Gordomac]

Thanks V much. So it is giving ME access rather than others trying to access me. Much less stressed. Hacking, scamming & offering stuff i never asked for is also widespread round here. I'll stop giving my VFR neighbours long sidelooks over the fence as, whenever they come over, new networks appear available & I get strange things being offered to me in my junk mail. It's ok.Not paranoid. Honestly.

Cripes, who's that in a Merc SUV, blacked out windows, opposite, ..................Ok, ok, I AM going to get out more.

Cheers.

[Jhieminga]

Nothing more than available networks that you can choose to connect to, if you have the correct credentials. Note that other people's phones can also act as such networks (if they have been silly enough to configure this as an openly broadcast network) so that's why you sometimes see more options turning up when people walk past.

Strange things in junk mail? Nothing to do with your wifi networks, more likely linked to your surfing habits and sites where you left your e-mail address

[fly-by-wife]

Be cautious about unsecured WIFI networks - they may be deliberately left open to let people connect to them, not realising that their traffic can be "sniffed" for nefarious purposes.

Bottom line - never join a network unless you know it is trustworthy, and if you have to use a public network always use a vpn to secure your traffic.

[Gordomac]

Marvelous stuff. As I said, Neighbours pitch up, same two new networks appear in the available list. Window opens up saying "connected" beside the "connect automatically" box which is ticked. I never did anything.- Why would I ever want to connect automatically to a network that becomes available when these Holliday villa owners appear ? Curious stuff eh ?

I get the point about junk box/surfing stuff. Thanks. I know it is probably me. I sweep across averts with fingers stuck to the internal mouse and probably, inadvertently click on to stuff I never wanted. Emails asking if I want to improve my breast size are most unwelcome and a porn site appeared out of nowhere on my quick list !

Even on Pprune, it is my ineptitude that sweeps over that dating site for elders. Mind you, I am tempted as the screen fills from "Where Are They Now ?" to some pretty damn attractive , older, honey stating;" Want to chat ?". Cripes. Scary stuff chaps.

[netstruggler]

Originally Posted by Gordomac

Marvelous stuff. As I said, Neighbours pitch up, same two new networks appear in the available list. Window opens up saying "connected" beside the "connect automatically" box which is ticked. I never did anything.- Why would I ever want to connect automatically to a network that becomes available when these Holliday villa owners appear ? Curious stuff eh ?

I get the point about junk box/surfing stuff. Thanks. I know it is probably me. I sweep across averts with fingers stuck to the internal mouse and probably, inadvertently click on to stuff I never wanted. Emails asking if I want to improve my breast size are most unwelcome and a porn site appeared out of nowhere on my quick list !

Even on Pprune, it is my ineptitude that sweeps over that dating site for elders. Mind you, I am tempted as the screen fills from "Where Are They Now ?" to some pretty damn attractive , older, honey stating;" Want to chat ?". Cripes. Scary stuff chaps.

i suspect you have accidentally selected it at some point in the past.

You should select it again and click ‘Forget this Network’

It sounds like it has no security on it and you don’t want to be on that network.

[justapax]

I live near the top of a hill and I have over a hundred 'other networks' visible, some unsecured. If I turn off my 4G wi-fi router (which I do from time to time, it goes slow for some unexplained reason, turning it off and on again gives me high-speed access again) it defaults to the strongest unsecured wi-fi. This is Not Good as I am stealing someone else's data allowance, which is a criminal offence. I have to manually select my network again after a reset.

[Jhieminga]

justapax you should be able to edit the list of networks that your router connects to. It could be worth removing that particular network from the list.

[Gordomac]

Jhiemers ; I have tried that. I go to the "Review, edit, add or remove" page but while I can bring up the unwanted Networks it does not allow "remove". Strange eh ? My own connections do bring up the "remove" or "forget" prompt but the two in question, I suspect, do not. HItting the "Ask for help" provides no further guidance.

I have given up. Thanks to the fabbo posts by you guys from the Acadamy, a bit more settled and very careful with sweeping that arrow around.

[fly-by-wife]

I don't think that you can prevent your device displaying nearby networks to which you have never joined. However, you can absolutely stop your device automatically connecting to any network to which you have access. You should be prompted or asked if you wish to join a network.

On an iphone, in wifi settings "Ask to Join Networks" should be set to "Ask" and "Auto-Join Hotspot" to "Never" or "Ask to Join"

[Jhieminga]

Originally Posted by Gordomac

Jhiemers ; I have tried that. I go to the "Review, edit, add or remove" page but while I can bring up the unwanted Networks it does not allow "remove". Strange eh ? My own connections do bring up the "remove" or "forget" prompt but the two in question, I suspect, do not. HItting the "Ask for help" provides no further guidance.

You can remove a network from the list of networks to be joined automatically by (attempting to) connecting to it and selecting the small (i) icon. You can then click on 'Forget this network'. That only prevents your device from automatically connecting to it again, it will not remove it from the list. This is based on iPhone/iPad by the way, other devices may not work in the same way.

The list of networks you see is not something you can edit, as it is basically a list of stations broadcasting in your neighbourhood. Compare it to radio stations, they are all present in the ether but you need to dial in the correct frequency to be able to hear them. In a similar sense, all those WiFi networks are constantly broadcasting their name and the list you see is nothing more than your device telling you which ones are being detected. You can also use WiFi sniffer apps to do this and they will then show which frequency bands networks are on and such. None of this creates any sort of interaction between your device and these networks.

[Gordomac]

Thanks again. Where were you chaps when I needed Training Captains who knew what "Training" meant !