Keep Track of Your Network–And Who’s On It

DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002

+4038

Keep Track of Your Network–And Who’s On It

OK, you’ve been good, and secured your wireless network. If you haven’t (and I can’t imagine the why of that), then please… please do so

immediately. You can get a good guide here. This is of paramount importance to your identity because illegal and costly activities can be perpetrated on "your" network. The last thing you need is Homeland Security knocking on your door, telling you about "kiddy stuff and piracy" you've allegedly been engaged in.

If you're unsecured, download and run the utility and print a report. You might need it. Then, secure your network! WPA/2 is recommended if supported by your router. If not, then there are ways to flash your router (you might 'brick' it - be careful and read up on it) to install software to allow WPA/2, but that's a subject for another article. Read about DD-WRT here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Installation . Read that article well!

OK, now you’ve secured your network and you wish to check up if you’ve done well. How do you do that?

Neil Sofer, aka NirSoft has provided yet another free (and freely distributable, if unaltered) tool: Wireless Network Watcher v1.10.

“Wireless Network Watcher is a small utility that scans your wireless network and displays the list of all computers and devices that are currently connected to your network.
For every computer or device that is connected to your network, the following information is displayed: IP address, MAC address, the company that manufactured the network card, and optionally the computer name. You can also export the connected devices list into html/xml/csv/text file, or copy the list to the clipboard and then paste into Excel or other spreadsheet application.” – NirSoft

It scans only the network you’re connected to: It cannot scan other networks.

System requirements:

This utility works on Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003/2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
This utility can only scan a wireless network that you're currently connected to. It cannot scan other wireless networks.
In rare cases, it's possible that Wireless Network Watcher won't detect the correct wireless network adapter, and then you should go to 'Advanced Options' window (F9), and manually choose the correct network adapter.
Although this utility is officially designed for wireless networks, you can also use it to scan a small wired network.

You should take a look at all the utilities Mr. Sofer has created. They are all small, and free. Look for them here: http://www.nirsoft.net/ and bookmark this site!

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DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002

+4038

Quoting CarGuy1,

reply 22

Let's see, my closest neighbor is a mile away and between the gate and the dogs, you can't get within a half mile of my house...do you think I need to secure my wireless?

An unqualified "Yes". Surprised you had the temerity to ask!

You might well have hacker squirrels. After all, there are many of those in..... wait for it.... Monk's Corner.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

Quoting kona0197,

reply 23

Wrong. A $40 dollar router can have the exact same software as a $300 dollar router.

Helping the_Monk out here....

Kona...a VW Beetle can use the exact same petrol [gas] as a Ferrari.

One uses it 'better'....

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Quoting the_Monk,

reply 9

Quoting Supergroverohp, reply 6
Flashing to a DD-WRT firmware is something you do want to do, it will add a ton more options for securing and monitoring your network.....

...and the proc/mem on that router can actually make good use of those "added features"? I mean when someone enables "SPI" or uses ALG-checking etc. you do realize that if the router doesn't have the proc and/or memory those "features" end up being largely useless since the router isn't powerful enough to actually perform said features/.

...

Since you have been in the field for 20 year you should have obviously known that isnt not the features I was talking about, what I was talking about relates to the topic of monitoring your network something that after flashing MOST routers to DD-WRT will now do, monitoring whom is using your network as well as measuring how much of the network is being utilized. It will also allow increased port forwarding option that alot of typical "average Joe users" use.

I do understand what you are tiring to say about a dedicated router and yes the router listed is a much better router than the one a average person uses but does the average user need this IMO no.

@Everyone

What I never understood is that people figure on spending around $500-$1000 bucks on a computer that will eventually hold all of their family photos, all of their personal correspondence, be the connection-point to all of their online financial dealings and yet spending between $300-$500 bucks to help protect all of that? Hell no! bullocks! Seriously........if people want to use the el cheapo $60 Best Buy sale deal-o-rama to protect their networks so be it. I'm just telling it how it is....

Personally if you are worried about data loss then back up, I back up to a RAID1 , a external hdd for storage ( that is powered off unless I am backing up, this is my "weekly" back up and finally to online storage ( obviously the space online is limited so this is manly images) This will prevent loss of your data from multiple "attacks" be they via your network, hardware failure, Acts of God ( aka your house burns down ect, ect)

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the_Monk

Join Date 01/2008

+221

@Supergroverohp,

Quoting Supergroverohp, reply 6

Flashing to a DD-WRT firmware is something you do want to do, it will add a ton more options for securing and monitoring your network.....

"a ton more options for securing.........." most definitely includes things like SPI/ALG etc. etc. which is why I mentioned them.

I do understand what you are tiring to say about a dedicated router and yes the router listed is a much better router than the one a average person uses but does the average user need this IMO no.

Back in reply #18 I address why I don't believe it to be unreasonable to suggest people invest more than $50 in a router. That router being the point of contact to the "home system" they spent $500-$1000 on which will eventually hold all of their family photos, all of their personal correspondence, be the connection-point to all of their online financial dealings etc. To many people what I just listed equates to being their life.

My suggestion to look at investing around $300 to help better protect that life seems rather reasonable to me. Plus as I pointed out in reply #15 the more robust routers not only do their jobs better they also tend to do a lot more protecting without the user needing to understand what/why and certainly without intervention from said user.

EDIT: You edited your post after I began posting my reply. I am not talking about data loss, I'm talking about breaches that can result in the type of "activities" Doc pointed out in his OP and suggesting that $300-$500 is reasonable when considering what you're protecting.

@DisturbedComputer, (in reply to your REPLY# 25)

Sounds like you've done things within a certain budget and any additional risks you're taking as a result are acceptable to you. Fair enough, just understand that you get what you pay for. In everything. If your entire life isn't on that gateway box then you're probably better off anyway. My posts are obviously aimed at helping those whose lives are on their PC's to not forget that cheap edge-security may not be much of "security" these days anymore.

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2206

Quoting Jafo,

reply 11

Quoting Supergroverohp,
reply 6
Recommending a 300-500 router for home use is ludicrous, I understand what you are trying to say but stop and think most ppl spend from 300-1000 on a home system,

I spent "300-500" on a PSU.

I spent "300-500" on a UPS.

I spent "300-500" on a monitor.

I spent "300-500" on a GPU.

I spent "300-500" on a CPU.

There's a trend...none of which is "ludicrous"....

Damn, you have a good job...lol!!

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

Quoting RedneckDude,

reply 30

Damn, you have a good job...lol!!

All up, the machine was about $3000 AUD [then about $2800 US]. It replaced a P4 3gig which was about 5 years old [and cost more].

I work from home so this thing's a work computer. [and thus tax deductible]. It is on 24/7/365 as Administering Wincustomize means some 'odd' hours.

It 'should' last 5 years too ...before being the next hand-me-down so the write-off is 600 pa or 12 a week or 7c an hour....

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kona0197

Join Date 02/2003

+84

Quoting the_Monk,

reply 24

You keep missing the point. While you may be able to get a $40 router to accept the same software a more robust router comes with, you will not ever get that $40 router to actually use that software properly and to the same capacity to which the $300 router is designed to operate it at. Meaning, you may be in fact handicapping your $40 router as it will start dropping packets, or just passing packets through anyway because the shitty hardware in it can't actually DO what you are telling it you want it to do. How can you not be understanding what I'm trying to tell you?!?

No - my point is that for my network a 440 dollar router is fine. I've never had any issues with security so why should I get something more expensive? For the masses a $40 dollar router works just fine.

Jafo - not everyone can afford a Ferrari.

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the_Monk

Join Date 01/2008

+221

Quoting kona0197,

reply 32

That was not your point. Your point was to argue with me about my suggesting a more expensive/better router and then you suggested that both a $40 and $300 router could run the same software (when that had nothing to do with the point I was making) while completely ignoring what Jafo and I have been trying to get you to understand.

You feel fine behind a $40 router? Fine I wasn't telling you not to. Just don't argue with the FACT that a $300 router is (on every level) better at security operations (running whatever software you chose to have on it) and many times more capable of NOT being overwhelmed and therefore having its security breached.

Gee whiz some people can be obtuse.......lol

EDIT: For god's sake man, when I was doing community networking support for DEMIGOD (remember that disaster?) I personally helped many people for whom one very big issue was the FACT that their shitty little $40-$60 routers were being OVERWHELMED by traffic produced by the DEMIGOD netcode. Those shitty little routers were incapable of handling things and were shitting the bed (so to speak). What do you think would happen to the "security" of your $40 dealy if someone purposely and maliciously generated such traffic with regards to you? Again, you go right ahead and feel good about your $40 security.......just know that it is what it is........meaning at the end of the day you have only that........ $40 security.

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kona0197

Join Date 02/2003

+84

I'm not obtuse...

It was $40 dollars used. It cost more retail. Be that as it may since all I do is internet browseing with the occasinal download and facebook game I feel fine. Never had any issues. Besides the modem it's plugged into has security features as well.

And no I don't recall the demigod disaster. Never played any game like that.

Starting to think some of you are a bit paranoid.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

Quoting kona0197,

reply 32

Jafo - not everyone can afford a Ferrari.

You assumed that one was the 'better' to which I referred?

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tazgecko

Join Date 05/2008

+177

Quoting the_Monk,

reply 33

when I was doing community networking support for DEMIGOD (remember that disaster?) I personally helped many people

and you did a very good job, a lot of people would have been lost without you ...

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kona0197

Join Date 02/2003

+84

Sorry to cause problems guys. It just seems when we talk harware everyone says the expensive stuff is better. I admit the expensive stuff performs bewtter but for us people that can't afford expensive we use what we can and it works great.

I refuse to believe that to play the game (so to speak) we have to buy "expensive".

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

Quoting kona0197,

reply 37

I refuse to believe that to play the game (so to speak) we have to buy "expensive".

Ah, but you likely refuse to believe all sorts of things....

No-one's going to change that....eddykayshun isn't for everyone.

There's WYSIWYG ... but then there's WYPFIWYG ... or maybe that's YGWYPF - either way, in a competitive industry [commercialism] more expensive is typically equivalent to better quality/performance [directly proportional, not inverse]...

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

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Disturbedcomputer

Join Date 02/2007

+137

Quoting the_Monk,

reply 29

@DisturbedComputer, (in reply to your REPLY# 25)

Sounds like you've done things within a certain budget and any additional risks you're taking as a result are acceptable to you. Fair enough, just understand that you get what you pay for. In everything. If your entire life isn't on that gateway box then you're probably better off anyway. My posts are obviously aimed at helping those whose lives are on their PC's to not forget that cheap edge-security may not be much of "security" these days anymore.

No all my important stuff is on my slave drive and AS FAR AS I know spyware, Virus, etc can't run on a slave Drive (Storage disk) but as for a Hacker wanting

to Hack my PC well he/she more then like would be able to and get to the Slave Drive but even If I had a $500.00 Router I don't think I would be able to stop A hacker cause I don't know enough about IP stuff..

other then changing the Default Password, Hiding the PC from the Internet, Enabling WPA/2 and something about the mac address not sure ..

is all I know and I don't know that (or better you could crack open an atom fill it with what I know about IP stuff and still fit the moon it in)

but just because you buy something cheap don't mean you get what you paid for, my old HP (first PC) from 2001 cost $1500.00 and it is still kicking

note that it came with all the stuff Monitor (Gave it away after 8 years), keyboard (packed away and works), mouse, (packed away and works because it's a ball mouse aka no optics/laser not wireless YEARS ago) and Speakers (Gave it away)have to have Kick ass Speaker and sound Card ok some what kick ass speakers

170 watt would like 1,000watt but hell I was bitching and moaning at $109.99 for my Speakers 5.1 + $60.00 for sound card

now the Graphic Card the on board card was only 32MB was replace back in 2002 or 3 and was only about $30.00 with it's own fan 128MB but it was because I wanted to play Chaser (A Game) .. then jumped to an 256MB card about $ 60.00,,,

my point is just because you buy cheaper don't ALWAYS mean you get what you pay for some times it's better then a $4,000.00 System or should I say LAST longer.... I know it's an HP but will never give them $$ again just don't like HP 7 install disk (7) SEVEN of them ok 1 with 6 BS ....

so with some saying you get what you paid for ... then you should have MAC and not Windows cause MAC cost MORE.... so it has too be better more $$ = better??? I'll stick with Windows

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StevenAus22

Join Date 06/2010

+110

Jafo, what would you recommend as some good mid to high-mid priced router with decent security? I'm in Australia like you are.

Best regards,
Steven.

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DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002

+4038

StevenAus - not trying to answer out of turn, but Jafo would have to know some info in order to make a recommendation: Do you live in a wifi saturated area? How large are your diggs? are you using g or n band, principally? Do you play a lot of online games requiring a large through put. Do you get good reception throughout the house? Do any other devices access the router besides your computer?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2347539,00.asp

(How to choose a router - PC Magazine).

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StevenAus22

Join Date 06/2010

+110

Actually, I might have been forgetting that this is primarily a wireless router focussed thread. Does wired have the same requirements for a good router? I have a router currently that has a wireless capability but my connection is a wired one.

Best regards,
Steven.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1801

Quoting DisturbedComputer,

reply 40

so with some saying you get what you paid for ... then you should have MAC and not Windows cause MAC cost MORE.... so it has too be better more $$ = better???

No....that doesn't work with a self-imposed Monopoly.

.....or should I say....the reason Mac usage is always going to be a low % is Apple "thinks" it has no competitor and prices itself into 'obscurity'/inconsequence.

StevenAus....you'd be better to ask the_Monk ...he's the Networking expert, not me....

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StevenAus22

Join Date 06/2010

+110

the_Monk, what details would you need to know to make a good recommendation on a wired router? Similar to wireless routers or quite different?

Best regards,
Steven.

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Quoting DisturbedComputer,

reply 40

Quoting the_Monk, reply 29@DisturbedComputer, (in reply to your REPLY# 25)

Sounds like you've done things within a certain budget and any additional risks you're taking as a result are acceptable to you. Fair enough, just understand that you get what you pay for. In everything. If your entire life isn't on that gateway box then you're probably better off anyway. My posts are obviously aimed at helping those whose lives are on their PC's to not forget that cheap edge-security may not be much of "security" these days anymore.

No all my important stuff is on my slave drive and AS FAR AS I know spyware, Virus, etc can't run on a slave Drive (Storage disk) but as for a Hacker wanting

to Hack my PC well he/she more then like would be able to and get to the Slave Drive but even If I had a $500.00 Router I don't think I would be able to stop A hacker cause I don't know enough about IP stuff..

other then changing the Default Password, Hiding the PC from the Internet, Enabling WPA/2 and something about the mac address not sure ..

is all I know and I don't know that (or better you could crack open an atom fill it with what I know about IP stuff and still fit the moon it in)

but just because you buy something cheap don't mean you get what you paid for, my old HP (first PC) from 2001 cost $1500.00 and it is still kicking

note that it came with all the stuff Monitor (Gave it away after 8 years), keyboard (packed away and works), mouse, (packed away and works because it's a ball mouse aka no optics/laser not wireless YEARS ago) and Speakers (Gave it away)have to have Kick ass Speaker and sound Card ok some what kick ass speakers

170 watt would like 1,000watt but hell I was bitching and moaning at $109.99 for my Speakers 5.1 + $60.00 for sound card

now the Graphic Card the on board card was only 32MB was replace back in 2002 or 3 and was only about $30.00 with it's own fan 128MB but it was because I wanted to play Chaser (A Game) .. then jumped to an 256MB card about $ 60.00,,,

my point is just because you buy cheaper don't ALWAYS mean you get what you pay for some times it's better then a $4,000.00 System or should I say LAST longer.... I know it's an HP but will never give them $$ again just don't like HP 7 install disk (7) SEVEN of them ok 1 with 6 BS ....

so with some saying you get what you paid for ... then you should have MAC and not Windows cause MAC cost MORE.... so it has too be better more $$ = better??? I'll stick with Windows

And this goes to show that you have no idea what you are talking about. A MAC is a computer, windows is software so how is that comparable? If you mean a MAC over other PC's than you would be making sense but MAC's are not more "expensive" than other PC's because it depends on what kind of PC you are buying and if building yourself, what kind of parts. I have no idea what the price of the OS is for a MAC because I don't believe they sell their OS for use on other PC's. I have a PC right now which is very expensive and blows your computer out of the water and I have never had a single problem with it. I built it myself and spent a month researching it. I also have my CPU overclocked to 4GHZ as well as my ram and video cards overclocked. Again, not a single issue because I did my research and figured out what works and how. I spent hundreds of dollars just on fans. My CPU fan alone cost me 200$ but it runs beautifully. I have also seen most other PC's and initially they work fine but shortly they end up running like crap. Expensive = Quality. That is how the world works for the most part (although not always there will always be some exceptions).

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Quoting CarGuy1,

reply 22

Let's see, my closest neighbor is a mile away and between the gate and the dogs, you can't get within a half mile of my house...do you think I need to secure my wireless?

More secure than most is how I would classify you. But vigilance does not hurt.

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DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002

+4038

Quoting BlackRainZ,

reply 46

Expensive = Quality. That is how the world works for the most part (although not always there will always be some exceptions).

I'd put it, "Expensive implies quality, but doesn't always deliver."

When something is expensive, we expect it to be of high quality. Just as cost, value and worth are not the same, price and quality aren't... although frequently can be.

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Quoting DrJBHL,

reply 48

Quoting BlackRainZ, reply 46 Expensive = Quality. That is how the world works for the most part (although not always there will always be some exceptions).

I'd put it, "Expensive implies quality, but doesn't always deliver."

When something is expensive, we expect it to be of high quality. Just as cost, value and worth are not the same, price and quality aren't... although frequently can be.

Which is why I said there are exceptions of course but in my experience, for the most part, if you want quality you have to shell out extra money.

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Disturbedcomputer

Join Date 02/2007

+137

Quoting Jafo,

reply 44

No....that doesn't work with a self-imposed Monopoly.

.....or should I say....the reason Mac usage is always going to be a low % is Apple "thinks" it has no competitor and prices itself into 'obscurity'/inconsequence.

good one

Quoting BlackRainZ,

reply 46

I sure most knew what I was saying I'll word it differently a mac is more expensive then a PC with windows as in the specs you'll get better ones with a PC with windows at a cheaper price

Quoting BlackRainZ,

reply 46

I have a PC right now which is very expensive and blows your computer out of the water

you might have spent a hell of a lot more for your PC.. and in price / speed might just blow my Gateway DX4831 win 7 Home Premium 64bit

Intel core i3 530 2.93GHz dual core 6GB ram NVIDIA GeForce GT220 1GB ram but I bet mine cheap PC can run every program that your HIGH $$$ one can run not counting stuff that is CPU/motherbroad related as in i3's can't do some stuff as an i7 can as in my win 7 Ultimate 64bit can do stuff my Home Premium 64bit but they both can run all programs, games, videos it may not do it as fast but it dose it with out freezing the system or slow downs....

I'm not saying I wouldn't like a $4,000.00 PC but my cheap PC

pc $700.00

GC $109.99 got it for $89.99 oh and it can do 3D Glasses sold separately don't have

sound card $60.00

Monitor Samsung Sync Master 2233 $260.00 on sale and can do 3D

Mouse Microsoft wireless laser 5000 $ 40.00 might be $50.00

Creative Live! Cam Socialize HD 1080p $99.99 got for $40.00 not used

works Great

EDIT

oh, ok so, you have Bragging rights on paying more

but I have bragging rights on well it's cheap and it dose what I what it to do

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