How do you know if someone else is attempting access to your wireless network? (WRT54G)

Question

I searched adn tried the Linksys FAQ to no avail to get an answer to the subject question.
Is there any way to verify who is actually using or trying to attempt use of your wireless network, if so, where do I locate and view this information?
I just set up a wireless system so my wife could get access from her wireless equipped laptop, but I really see no area to verify who is actually using the wireless network or if some other outside source/person is attempting to get access.
Any info on where, how and what to do to view this type of info would be greatly appreciated and if it can't be, shouldn't there be something added to the system that would allow one to view all users accessing their wireless system?
Thank you,
Clay Fugitte

Answer 1

Tracking down who is using your wireless system is usually difficult or impossible.  The router only knows the MAC address of the connecting computer.  MAC addresses can be faked.  Even if you knew the MAC address of the person connecting, what can you do with that info?  Go around the neighborhood asking people "Is this your MAC address?"
Instead of worrying about who is connecting to your wireless, you should simply set up wireless security.  This will keep intruders off your wireless network.  Then you don't need to worry about who is connecting.
It sounds like you are running an unsecured wireless router.  When you run an unsecured wireless router, anyone within range can login and use your Internet connection. At a minumum, this means that they will be using your bandwidth. At worst, they could be uploading copyrighted music, sending spam email, distributing viruses, or downloading child pornography --- all from an account with your name on it!   So my advice is --- secure your wireless network.
To set up wireless security, do the following:
First of all, to setup wireless security,  you must use a computer that is wired to the router.
Where to find the router settings: The router's login password is usually on one of the "Administration" pages. The other settings are all found in the "Wireless" section of the router's setup pages, located at 192.168.1.1
First, give your router a unique SSID. Don't use "linksys".
Make sure "SSID Broadcast" is set to "enabled".
Next, leave the router at its default settings (except for the unique SSID), and then use your pc to connect wirelessly to the router. Test your wireless Internet connection and make sure it is working correctly. You must have a properly working wireless connection before setting up wireless security.
To implement wireless security, you need to do one step at a time, then verify that you can still connect your wireless computer to the router.
Next, encrypt your wireless system using the highest level of encryption that all of your wireless devices will support. Common encryption methods are:
WEP - poor (see note below)
WPA (sometimes called PSK, or WPA with TKIP) - good
WPA2 (sometimes called PSK2, or WPA with AES) - best
WPA and WPA2 sometimes come in versions of "personal" and "enterprise". Most home users should use "personal". Also, if you have a choice between AES and TKIP, and your wireless equipment is capable of both, choose AES. With any encryption method, you will need to supply a key (sometimes called a "password" ).
The wireless devices (computers, printers, etc.) that you have will need to be set up with the SSID, encryption method, and key that matches what you entered in the router.
Retest your system and verify that your wireless Internet connection is still working correctly.
And don't forget to give your router a new login password.
Picking Passwords (keys): You should never use a dictionary word as a password. If you use a dictionary word as a password, even WPA2 can be cracked in a few minutes. When you pick your login password and encryption key (or password or passphrase) you should use a random combination of capital letters, small letters, and numbers, but no spaces. A login password, should be 12 characters or more. WPA and WPA2 passwords should be at least 24 characters. Note: Your key, password, or passphrase must not have any spaces in it.
Most home users should have their routers set so that "remote management" of the router is disabled. If you must have this option enabled, then your login password must be increased to a minumum of 24 random characters.
One additional issue is that Windows XP requires a patch to run WPA2. Go to Microsoft Knowledge base, article ID=893357 and it will direct you to the patch.
Sadly, the patch is not part of the automatic Windows XP updates, so lots of people are missing the patch.
Note:
WEP is no longer recommended. The FBI has demonstrated that WEP can be cracked in just a few minutes using software tools that are readily available over the Internet. Even a long random character password will not protect you with WEP. You should be using WPA or preferably WPA2 encryption.