new user detection 1

[lovewindoze]

I'm looking for a way (free hopefully) to find out when someone is using my home wireless network. Maybe with their IP and MAC address, and computer name.

Ideally...rather than monitor it manually, i'd like for it to alert me somehow either by popup window or email.

I have Windows XP Pro and Mac OSX available to me.
Any suggestions?

 

[SamBones]

Why don't you just turn on encryption? That way only you or someone you allow can use it.

 

[rn4it]

Also enable mac security, I use a Linksys wirelesss router and have WPA and mac address security enabled.

 

[lovewindoze]

maybe I'm just not geeky enough, I don't know. But encryption seems a little complex. Besides just the router config, I also have a mixed network of Windows/Macintosh's, wireless print server, wireless camera - also some are 802.11b was well as 11g.
I know I can set my router to not broadcast the SID, and do MAC security. And I guess that's enough to keep someone from accidently connecting.
I'd still like to be alerted, in case a script kiddie or network tech moves in next door to me.

 

[michigan]

lovewindoze -
I agree with SamBones and rn. Though encryption can be complex, usually you just turn it on (and the complexity part is handled in the back ground).
There is a program called WiFi Defense.

http://www.otosoftware.com/default.asp

It would will give you more options/features you're looking for - (especially the notify when someone connects to your network) - the trialware should let you know if you like it or not. If so, their full blown version cost about $30 bucks.
Good Luck.

 

[tfg13]

I agree that these solutions work. Something that should be pointed out that a network tech who moves next door to you who is ethical won't be attempting to connect to your network anyway. As for the script kiddies, any time you figure a way to block them, they find someone who has written something to get around your security. Hence, the revisions to programs/free stuff you buy/download.

 

[rn4it]

Just to add, a number of people who don't have IT technical jobs will just use the default settings which includes automatic connections. So it could also be just a neighbor who's just so happens to connect to your router because it happens to have a stronger signal then his/hers or that it just happened to be in the top of their wireless network list.

Do what you're most comfortable with at first then add on. Windows will only alert you if a- they logon to you windows network or b - you have you're wireless routers logfiles being sent to your windows server. Depending on the wireless router you have and it's features you may be able to have it's logfiles redirected to a windows server with a syslog server running this can do some of the features you're requesting but will take some playing with.
cheers

 

[lovewindoze]

thanks for everyone's input. since I have 11b and g devices, and my network skills are very limited, I'm looking for something 'easy' (for me).
Just not broadcasting the SID would prevent most neighbors from connecting to my network - I think.

I'm also looking into AirSnare. Looks like it may alert me, and it's free.

 

[pansophic]

You should be able to run "arpwatch" on your Mac if it is OS X. Arpwatch will generate emails to you every time that a new MAC address is discovered on your network.

Setting MAC address filtering on your wireless network is tons easier, and will probably make you just hard enough of a target to get the neighbors to choose someelse's network to utilize.


pansophic

 

[conan3]

Try airsnare it has the features you want.

http://home.comcast.net/~jay.deboer/airsnare/

And yes Windows XP will connect to any wireless access point it finds. Turn on WEP or WPA...