Wireless broadband usage monitoring

[chandrika]

I have a BT Home Hub, which has a wireless option, I use the wired option myself, but a neighbour moved in a couple of days ago and he just asked whether until he gets his broadband switched on he could piggy back off my wireless connection.

Being neighbourly I said yes and gave him the key....

He said he only needs it for his iphone to check emails etc, so I cant imagine it would use much bandwidth, but to be on the safe side, I just wanted to ask is there a usage monitor programme I can get just to keep an eye on usage, as if I go over the limit I have to pay extra + of course I dont want my connection speed to slow down too much.

I also wanted to ask, does letting someone use my wireless connection raise any security issues with regards accessing my own pc. I have turned all file sharing off, so I cant see it would be a problem, but I wanted to check out what I may have let myself in for.

[wige]

As far as monitoring bandwidth, you probably can't do it from your wired computer. The most accurate method would be to used an app that is built into your router, if one exists. Otherwise, you could use a packet sniffer to monitor wireless traffic, but since the traffic is usually encrypted you would see a bigger number than is actually being consumed over your Internet connection.

As far as security, most routers will allow wired and wireless devices to talk to one another. Closing file sharing is one step, but to fully protect yourself I would recommend installing a strong software firewall on the computer. Also, bear in mind that you don't only have to worry about your neighbor - once you enable your wireless connection unless it is well secured you have to worry about anyone else in range of the signal picking it up and using it.

One other issue is legal liability. If someone using your Internet connection does something illegal (fraud, downloading child pornography, gambling on certain sites, downloading pirated software or music) you would be held liable, and the onus would be on you to prove that it was actually done by the person borrowing your connection. Even if you were able to prove it, you could potentially be held liable for facilitation, just as you could be charged for driving the robber to the bank.

[chandrika]

It has WPA3 security key enabled...which is what I gave him and as soon as I did it I felt sick inside.

He is 98% likely to be a straight up guy, just moved in, will get his own connection within a few weeks and all will be fine.

What he accesses...wow I had not considered legalities of that, v. good point.

I will call BT ask them if they have such an app to monitor bandwidth in the home hub router, they may do.

I have a strong firewall enabled on my pc so hopefully that should protect my stuff in that respect, anyway I will keep checking for him to get his own connection...and in a few weeks i will change the key.

Till then I proably wont be able to sleep...i do stupidest of things sometimes...actually often...

Thanks Wige

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by chandrika

It has WPA3 security key enabled...which is what I gave him and as soon as I did it I felt sick inside.

He is 98% likely to be a straight up guy, just moved in, will get his own connection within a few weeks and all will be fine.

What he accesses...wow I had not considered legalities of that, v. good point.

I will call BT ask them if they have such an app to monitor bandwidth in the home hub router, they may do.

I have a strong firewall enabled on my pc so hopefully that should protect my stuff in that respect, anyway I will keep checking for him to get his own connection...and in a few weeks i will change the key.

Till then I proably wont be able to sleep...i do stupidest of things sometimes...actually often...

Thanks Wige

If you are worried change your wpa3 key & tell him you were told that as your contract was for home use you cannot share with a third party outside of your family & you would be liable for anything that happened via the connection or words to that effect.

wireless routers and most fixed routers with internal tel line (adsl) connections are one way.That is the signal from the ISP goes to and from the connected computer. It cannot travel back through the router to any other computer connected to it (wireless or wired ) as on a normal network. If this were possible you would be able to print files to a printer connected to any node & vice versa which would be very useful so your neighbour could use your printer to print his letters! If somebody thinks it can be done please give EXACT technical details how so that all the people in a family with wireless connected laptops could print to one laptop with a printer connected to it. I say impossible.

[AlexNewell]

Chandrika - I hate the idea that you will be nervously checking your computer until your neighbour gets his installation!

Yikes!

Wige has gone over the technical side of this but frankly I think you should either turn your computer and router off when he is at home or just take such action to terminate the arrangement.

The possibilities are just too bad too contemplate.

Whether or not you just say "Oops sorry mate, change of plan" or just tell him you are redecorating and will have everything unplugged for a few weeks...

Making one mistake is OK but compounding it daily is another!

Good luck!

[SnerdeyWebs]

No No.. I would not allow such a thing.

Your paying for a service and bound by your ISP contract to obey the rules of the road. I'd change that key asap.

Your running the risk of not only loosing your connection but what if he's not such a nice person. The FBI, Police etc.. could knock on your door and take your computer away for investigation of anything someone might do illegally eh?

Sorry, but you have to draw the line somewhere and with neighbors it's best to stand your ground.

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by SnerdeyWebs

No No.. I would not allow such a thing.

Your paying for a service and bound by your ISP contract to obey the rules of the road. I'd change that key asap.

Your running the risk of not only loosing your connection but what if he's not such a nice person. The FBI, Police etc.. could knock on your door and take your computer away for investigation of anything someone might do illegally eh?

Sorry, but you have to draw the line somewhere and with neighbors it's best to stand your ground.

she could also check his dustbins in the middle of the night for things like empty bleach bottles, put a wireless flow sensor on his water main to check the amount he uses,if he is hiding illegal immigrants or has a terrorist cell in his basement then the toilet is used more often than just for himself.... maybe even park your car across the road with hidden camera focused on this front door. Take a list of things that have been done & discuss it with a doctor to see if he has any advice on the subject.

[SnerdeyWebs]

LOL .. I needed a good laugh!!

[deepsand]

Theoretically possible by installing custom firmware on the device. However, even though the BT Home Hub uses the Linux kernel, BT has withheld the scripts necessary for such.

And, not finding any evidence that it supports SNMP, so that route seems to be out as well.

[Kendroma]

I had a replacement hub supplied from BT (Business Broadband) recently. We live in a busy tourist area with many people passing by in the summer months. On checking stats I was puzzled to see usage from the likes of

Johns iphone
claires blackberry

and the like. Turns out the BT Openzone function was set to on and this is apparently a default setting. So effectively BT are selling on the expensive bandwidth you pay them for to any passing Openzone subcriber at 5p a minute!

Now, I'm a generous kind of soul but have an aversion to mobile users - holidaymakers with raised voices walking around in ever decreasing circles enquiring as to the welfare of their cat particularly disturbs my solitude.

Not on my bandwith matey boy! Needless to say this option's now set to OFF.

[almer]

Hi Chandrika,

BT Home Hub key in standard configuration is hacked in 2 minutes anyway. Especialy if you see it show up on your list like this: "BTHomeHub-8SF5-random something". Try the BTHHkeygen.

But is this this whole thread a joke or are people really getting scared of their neighbours and liability and laws and stuff? In that case I'm going to cry for a little bit now. What was it again about good neighbours and far away friends (or is that just a Dutch expression)?

You'll have a good laugh about this over coffee with your neighbour in a few months hopefully.

Cheers,

Your internet neighbour: Almer

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by almer

Hi Chandrika,


You'll have a good laugh about this over coffee with your neighbour in a few months hopefully.

Cheers,

Your internet neighbour: Almer

He will probably come and visit you in prison or send a postcard from a far away country (Holland?) saying how sorry he was....

[seopo]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. Lots of people still don't have security enabled on their routers anyway or use default keys which are as worth while as none at all.

It's nice to be neighbourly

[chandrika]

hehe

We actually have shared dustbins here as well, so identifying whose crap is whose would be difficult in fact any would be terrorists would do well to use our communal bins here as they serve the entire marina where i live.

Interesting that the BT home hub key is easily crackable... thats a bit crap of them isnt it and damn if I had known that I would never have signed up for a 12 mth contract (just kidding)

I dont think its crazy to consider all security aspects of computer access these days. I maybe a little paranoid due to my own activities of constantly checking vulnerability probabilties for my own sites, which have been hacked into twice, one of my sites is listed as a phishing site somewhere on some list after one such hack, which is a bummer, as i never uploaded a natwest login page to my server, the directory got hacked due to some insecure form that i had years back, and Wige is right that u get the blame for what is ur responsibility...i did...even since removing all the hacked pages.... that site is on all sorts of blaclists after that.

So I freely admit to a level of paranoia where such things are concerend, but i would call it a healthy paranoia. Better safe than sorry and all that.

Anyway I was most worried about speed and bandwidth usage of my bb connection in this instance...but BT do have the tool installed in the router that Wige described, so I can keep an eye on that.

Thanks guys!

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by chandrika

hehe

We actually have shared dustbins here as well, so identifying whose crap is whose would be difficult in fact any would be terrorists would do well to use our communal bins here as they serve the entire marina where i live.

It is worse than I thought you live in a marina... The man next door probably has friends that work for a secret organisation which sends a mini submarine that surfaces at periscope depth in the marina.The antenna just breaks the surface during the hours of darkness connecting to your wireless network and uses it to send information to a foreign power, today your network tomorrow the world.
You must obtain a depth charge and place it on the bottom of the marina connect it via a hidden cable to your house. sit up all night and watch hub modem lights as soon as they start to flicker press the plunger on the detonator.This of course will destroy the marina and all craft in it but in cases like this it is better to be safe than sorry.must go & lie down now the headaches are coming back.....

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by seopo

I wouldn't worry about it at all. Lots of people still don't have security enabled on their routers anyway or use default keys which are as worth while as none at all.

Which is why there are so damned many zombie machine spewing out tons of spam everyday, trying to turn other machines into zombies, trying to steal account credentials, etc..

Originally Posted by seopo

It's nice to be neighbourly

It's also most prudent to "trust but verify."

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by almer

But is this this whole thread a joke or are people really getting scared of their neighbours and liability and laws and stuff? In that case I'm going to cry for a little bit now. What was it again about good neighbours and far away friends (or is that just a Dutch expression)?

Hardly a joke.

"Good fences make for good neighbors."

[wige]

Originally Posted by deepsand

"Good fences make for good neighbors."

Hm, maybe time to update that old saying?

"Good fences and strong firewalls make for good neighbors."

[deepsand]

Amen to that.

[Uncle Dog]

That's the problem with the world. Lack of trust. If we just left everything unlocked...

[deepsand]

... then we'd have no worries about anything being stolen, because it would already have so been.

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by deepsand

... then we'd have no worries about anything being stolen, because it would already have so been.

no problem we would just go and steal a better one than we had before (or get killed trying...)

[deepsand]

Just like yesteryear; or, certain areas of the world today.