Flashing lights

I'm getting paranoid that a neighbor must be using our router. Whenever we
use the Ethernet line, or wireless for the internet or PS3 games, the
blinking lights flash furiously for the specific activity. However the
wireless indicator will show a lot of activity even when all the computers
and game consoles are turned off. What could be the cause of this? Is it
normal activity?

Should I take medication?

You really need to secure your wireless network regardless of whether or not
you suspect your neighbor or any other unauthorized user from access it. I
have some general guidance here...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.or...sSecurity.html

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows - Desktop User Experience)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

"Stumpy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm getting paranoid that a neighbor must be using our router. Whenever
> we use the Ethernet line, or wireless for the internet or PS3 games, the
> blinking lights flash furiously for the specific activity. However the
> wireless indicator will show a lot of activity even when all the computers
> and game consoles are turned off. What could be the cause of this? Is it
> normal activity?
>
> Should I take medication?
>

> You really need to secure your wireless network regardless of whether or
> not you suspect your neighbor or any other unauthorized user from access
> it. I have some general guidance here...
>
> http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.or...sSecurity.html
>

Thanks. I'm using WEP now. Will upgrade to WPA after I've solved a few
more problems.

"Stumpy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> You really need to secure your wireless network regardless of whether or
>> not you suspect your neighbor or any other unauthorized user from access
>> it. I have some general guidance here...
>>
>> http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.or...sSecurity.html
>>
>
> Thanks. I'm using WEP now. Will upgrade to WPA after I've solved a few
> more problems.

Perhaps you got a smart neighbor who's able to break your (weak) WEP
security.

I think you are right. Your just getting paranoid.
Those lights always flash,...constantly.
There is about a billion things in the Windows OS alone that interact with
the Internet on an almost constant basis. Two big ones are Windows
Updates/Automatic Updates, and Windows Messenger or Live Messenger.

Then their is just leaving a browser Window open to a web site that has
Scripts, ActiveX Controls, Java Applets, Ad-Rotators, ect that generate
activity all the time.

Then there is any other messengers (Yahoo, AOL)

Then there is browser tool bar addons,...Google bar, Yahoo Toolbar, and who
knows what else.

Then there are the 253,468 and counting variations of spyware that may be
hidden as a stand-alone thing or imbedded in some kind of garbage you may
have installed (for example "free" Screen Savers, and "free" games).

Then how many File Sharing P2P Apps are you running?

Then their are the Applications that may each have their own "automatically
check for updates" built into them. The number of them are
what?,..thousands of them?

Then you have the "router" renewing it's IP Configuration with the
ISP,...the Machines on the LAN doing the same with the "router". You have
the ISP's "keep-alives" going to help then know that you aren't "down",...

The list goes on,...but my fingers are tired...and I probably haven't even
scratched the surface,...and somewhere way, way, way below that surface it
the possiblity of a "hacker" getting into your system making your lights
blink. Even if they were getting in through an unsecure wireless link the
range within they'd have to be to have decent performance to make it worth
their time is about 100-150 feet,...so you can take a little walk and figure
that out. There are some high-gain "home-made" antennas, but most people
*don't * have one because most can barely figure out how to get their
wireless network even working, and even if they had one you would have to
pose an "interesting" target for them to get them to waste any time on you.

So it a hacker possible?,...certainly,...but so is getting stuck by
lightning
--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Stumpy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm getting paranoid that a neighbor must be using our router. Whenever
> we use the Ethernet line, or wireless for the internet or PS3 games, the
> blinking lights flash furiously for the specific activity. However the
> wireless indicator will show a lot of activity even when all the computers
> and game consoles are turned off. What could be the cause of this? Is it
> normal activity?
>
> Should I take medication?
>

>I think you are right. Your just getting paranoid.
> Those lights always flash,...constantly.
> There is about a billion things in the Windows OS alone that interact with
> the Internet on an almost constant basis. Two big ones are Windows
> Updates/Automatic Updates, and Windows Messenger or Live Messenger.
>
> Then their is just leaving a browser Window open to a web site that has
> Scripts, ActiveX Controls, Java Applets, Ad-Rotators, ect that generate
> activity all the time.
>
> Then there is any other messengers (Yahoo, AOL)
>
> Then there is browser tool bar addons,...Google bar, Yahoo Toolbar, and
> who knows what else.
>
> Then there are the 253,468 and counting variations of spyware that may be
> hidden as a stand-alone thing or imbedded in some kind of garbage you may
> have installed (for example "free" Screen Savers, and "free" games).
>
> Then how many File Sharing P2P Apps are you running?
>
> Then their are the Applications that may each have their own
> "automatically check for updates" built into them. The number of them are
> what?,..thousands of them?
>
> Then you have the "router" renewing it's IP Configuration with the
> ISP,...the Machines on the LAN doing the same with the "router". You have
> the ISP's "keep-alives" going to help then know that you aren't "down",...
>
> The list goes on,...but my fingers are tired...and I probably haven't even
> scratched the surface,...and somewhere way, way, way below that surface it
> the possiblity of a "hacker" getting into your system making your lights
> blink. Even if they were getting in through an unsecure wireless link the
> range within they'd have to be to have decent performance to make it worth
> their time is about 100-150 feet,...so you can take a little walk and
> figure that out. There are some high-gain "home-made" antennas, but most
> people *don't * have one because most can barely figure out how to get
> their wireless network even working, and even if they had one you would
> have to pose an "interesting" target for them to get them to waste any
> time on you.
>
> So it a hacker possible?,...certainly,...but so is getting stuck by
> lightning
>

Thanks for the opinion, but my initial concern was about the activity when
all of my devices are turned off. The activity lights still flash
furiously. I found a status screen for my router which is on a secure web
page. I'm less concerned now because I can see each of our computers and
game consoles listed - no-one else. So I'm satisfied that no skulker is
getting onto our network, still wonder if there is a freeloader.

I assume you've run your anti virus and anti spyware programs to check that
you haven't got anything nasty that's crept in ?

--
Joan Archer
http://www.freewebs.com/crossstitcher
http://lachsoft.com/photogallery

"Stumpy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> Thanks for the opinion, but my initial concern was about the activity when
> all of my devices are turned off. The activity lights still flash
> furiously. I found a status screen for my router which is on a secure web
> page. I'm less concerned now because I can see each of our computers and
> game consoles listed - no-one else. So I'm satisfied that no skulker is
> getting onto our network, still wonder if there is a freeloader.
>

>I assume you've run your anti virus and anti spyware programs to check that
>you haven't got anything nasty that's crept in ?
>

Yeah, no obvious problems so far.

"Stumpy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for the opinion, but my initial concern was about the activity when
> all of my devices are turned off. The activity lights still flash
> furiously. I found a status screen for my router which is on a secure web
> page. I'm less concerned now because I can see each of our computers and
> game consoles listed - no-one else. So I'm satisfied that no skulker is
> getting onto our network, still wonder if there is a freeloader.

If there were, they would show on the status screen you were looking at, and
that is probably the best place to look, so check there when you get
suspicious. But there is a certain mount of activity between the "router",
the "modem", and the ISP that is always happening,...and then in the case of
DSL the ISP is never the line provider so you have to add in the Phone
Companies Layer2 equipment. Lines are never really ever idle.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

>You should also look in thr router's web configurations. Several
>models offer a nethod of "logging" activitity occurring on the unit.
>This is usually set to off since hte logs can get huge. Activate it
>for some time and check to see the activity. It could give you a hint
>to what is happening.

By default this was turned on. Looked at the logs and saw mostly expected
stuff; Playstation, newsservers, websites that we use. I'm getting more
relaxed. Time to fix things in the real world.