Who is my ISP I popped in via wireless?

I have changed my notebook for a WiLAN-able notebook. Surprisingly
enough, at home, suddenly I was informed that wireless network is
provided around. So I hooked up happily, but I do not know, is it
illegal?, does it do harm to someone?, who is the ISP? how can I trace
them and come to terms with them?

What is the SSID/Network name that you connected to?

This will help determine if it's an ISP or a home system.

Normally, if you're picking up wireless in your house, it's within
about a 5 house radius from you. The stronger the signal, the closer
they are.

Chris
http://www.netsteady.cc

Thanks, that seems logical. The SSID is SMC which is the name of a
wireless hardware company, so the wireless I have picked up is named
after the WiLAN card?

(E-Mail Removed) (jvajda) wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com:

> Thanks, that seems logical. The SSID is SMC which is the name of a
> wireless hardware company, so the wireless I have picked up is
> named after the WiLAN card?

That's most likely the default SSID programmed into the access point
by the manufacturer which the owner hasn't bothered to change, which
is more evidence that it's a household installation.

If you really want to track this down, try running "ipconfig /all"
from a command prompt (you do appear to be running Windows XP).

Find the entry for your wireless adapter and you'll see several IP
addresses. The one labeled "IP Address" is the dynamic address
assigned to your PC and is probably not too useful. The one labled
"Default Gateway" is the address of the access point and most likely
will be a dynamic address too, and also won't be useful. On the off
chance that it's not a dynamic address, you can go to
http://www.ripe.net/ (I'm assuming that you're really in Hungary as
you appear to be) and enter the IP address into the "RIPE WHOIS
Database Search" to find out who owns that address. If there are
addresses in the "DNS Servers" field, you can do the same with those.

None of this is likely to be of much use in finding out which
individual owns the access point you've connected to, just the name
of the ISP he buys his service from.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | (E-Mail Removed)

yes, I did that already and tried to find out the DNS server. ripe.net
database could not be more specific.
Is it possible, that the houshold access point owner I have been
connected to realized my presence and could stop providing the internet
access to my notebook's physical address. I am asking this because from
one moment on I am not having internet although the wireless connection
is still alive, but when I installed the DWL card to another notebook
with the same setting, the internet is working again.

(E-Mail Removed) (jvajda) wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com:

> yes, I did that already and tried to find out the DNS server.
> ripe.net database could not be more specific.
> Is it possible, that the houshold access point owner I have been
> connected to realized my presence and could stop providing the
> internet access to my notebook's physical address. I am asking this
> because from one moment on I am not having internet although the
> wireless connection is still alive, but when I installed the DWL
> card to another notebook with the same setting, the internet is
> working again.

Access control on a per-system basis is done only by MAC address, so
far as I know, and the MAC address is a property of the network
interface. So, if your wireless card worked in another PC, something
else must have stopped your other machine from connecting.

Still, a disinterested outside observer might begin to think that
your interest in your neighbor's wirless connection is no longer so
innocent.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | (E-Mail Removed)

My interest in the neighbor's wireless connection is quite innocent but
prefer to share costs and get permission. That is the reason I wish to
find them.

Since in wireless environment, MAC address equals physical address, you
are also saying that a user can be excluded from internet access by
prohibiting the PC (or notebook) physical address (MAC address). Is
this exactly what happened to me?

On 29 Sep 2005 10:06:59 -0700, "jvajda" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have changed my notebook for a WiLAN-able notebook. Surprisingly
>enough, at home, suddenly I was informed that wireless network is
>provided around. So I hooked up happily, but I do not know, is it
>illegal?, does it do harm to someone?, who is the ISP? how can I trace
>them and come to terms with them?

You need to come to terms with yourself for stealing data.
Find out who it belongs to and tell them to make it secure.

Barry
=====
Home page
http://members.iinet.net.au/~barry.og

why dont you buy your own internet access, holy shit good idea !


"jvajda" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> My interest in the neighbor's wireless connection is quite innocent but
> prefer to share costs and get permission. That is the reason I wish to
> find them.
>