[kpleahy]

I have a password protected wireless home network with my main PC, laptop and Wii authorized to connect. I noticed in Network & File Sharing - a computer "KEN63VY4H1". I cannot open this computer or login to it. To do so, Iit requests a password and user and I can't. I am the administrator. I have Windows Vista and a Netgear Wireless N router. What do I do? Is this dangerous? I tried shutting everything down and restarting and he is still there. Can you please help me??

[lawson_jl]

Is that the Wii maybe? I've never seen a Wii on a network so I don't know.

[lisa6447]

i googled that name and numbers no results so does it give you the option to either disconnect or disable it

[kpleahy]

I couldn't remove the computer that found its way into my network - so I logged onto my router, changed the SSID and the password. Now he is finally gone. I still don't know how this person got into my network, but he isn't showing up anymore. Thank you for your reply. If you can suggest how you think someone got in, that might be helpful to me in keeping others out as well. Thanks again!!

Kathy

[lisa6447]

i know you are password protected but maybe you should keep it to yourself never tell anyone your password

[lisa6447]

he must have known it and copied it

[lisa6447]

please mark as solved you clever lady regards lisa

[kpleahy]

Thanks again for the replies! Just a side note - I've never shared the password - not even my poor husband knows it - so I really am stumped on how this person got in. Have a terrific night!
Kathy

[lisa6447]

there are some very smart scammer out there they think why pay for it when i can steal it Thankyou and well done goodnight kathy regards Lisa

[antimoth]

Originally Posted by kpleahy

Thanks again for the replies! Just a side note - I've never shared the password - not even my poor husband knows it - so I really am stumped on how this person got in. Have a terrific night!
Kathy

You are using the better security protocols provided by your Netgear? Some of the older routers only did WEP, which is fairly easy to unscramble by amateur hackers with cracking programs. WPA is, I believe, a harder nut to crack.

And if you are in an apartment, with a wireless keyboard, well, the guy next door can see what you type. The one I am using right now ***could*** be picked up in the house next door.

[calvin-c]

He could have just guessed the password, too. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passwor...rong_passwords

although it doesn't mention what I consider the *best* rule of all, using a passphrase rather than a password. (Combine with the other rules, of course-and if allowed to use more than the 12-14 characters in the guide, do so. an example I might use (but won't now that I've mentioned it) would be:
My-Nam3 iS/M1chae1
Relatively easy to remember, relatively hard to guess. (Basically, what I need to remember is which letters I capitalized & which I replaced with numbers. The phrase itself is dead easy to remember-or would be if my name really was Michael.)