WiFi Access

I've just set up my Wireless connection for a Laptop and a PC. I'm
using WPA encryption with a 25-string letter/number WPA passphrase yet
when I look at the settings on my PC/Laptop there is another SSID in
addition to mine. How is this possible? Can someone access my PC this
way, or would they have to work ouot the passphrase for the encryption.
And is this person using my connection to access the internet?

mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> I've just set up my Wireless connection for a Laptop and a PC. I'm
> using WPA encryption with a 25-string letter/number WPA passphrase yet
> when I look at the settings on my PC/Laptop there is another SSID in
> addition to mine. How is this possible? Can someone access my PC this
> way, or would they have to work ouot the passphrase for the encryption.
> And is this person using my connection to access the internet?

This other SSID is probably one of your neighbours access points. Are
you connecting the lappy with your PC by IBSS, ad hoc? Otherwise give
your access point a unique name. Not the default one.

Axel Hammerschmidt wrote:
> mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>> I've just set up my Wireless connection for a Laptop and a PC. I'm
>> using WPA encryption with a 25-string letter/number WPA passphrase yet
>> when I look at the settings on my PC/Laptop there is another SSID in
>> addition to mine. How is this possible? Can someone access my PC this
>> way, or would they have to work ouot the passphrase for the encryption.
>> And is this person using my connection to access the internet?
>
> This other SSID is probably one of your neighbours access points. Are
> you connecting the lappy with your PC by IBSS, ad hoc? Otherwise give
> your access point a unique name. Not the default one.


Connecting by Infrastructure, and the access point has a unique name.

So, is it probably not connecting through my internet connection? The
other SSID displays a different channel number to mine.

On Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:16:36 GMT, mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote in
<8lM6h.53255$r4.38476@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net>:

>Axel Hammerschmidt wrote:
>> mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I've just set up my Wireless connection for a Laptop and a PC. I'm
>>> using WPA encryption with a 25-string letter/number WPA passphrase yet
>>> when I look at the settings on my PC/Laptop there is another SSID in
>>> addition to mine. How is this possible? Can someone access my PC this
>>> way, or would they have to work ouot the passphrase for the encryption.
>>> And is this person using my connection to access the internet?
>>
>> This other SSID is probably one of your neighbours access points. Are
>> you connecting the lappy with your PC by IBSS, ad hoc? Otherwise give
>> your access point a unique name. Not the default one.
>
>Connecting by Infrastructure, and the access point has a unique name.

Good.

>So, is it probably not connecting through my internet connection? The
>other SSID displays a different channel number to mine.

Your Wi-Fi radio is just showing you all the SSIDs (access points) it
can find. Those are wireless hosts, just like your own access point,
not wireless clients that could connect to you. To find out what's
connected to your own wireless network, look for a status page in the
access point web interface, not your computer's client adapter.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> Axel Hammerschmidt wrote:
> > mrblue <mrblue@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> >
> >> I've just set up my Wireless connection for a Laptop and a PC. I'm
> >> using WPA encryption with a 25-string letter/number WPA passphrase yet
> >> when I look at the settings on my PC/Laptop there is another SSID in
> >> addition to mine. How is this possible? Can someone access my PC this
> >> way, or would they have to work ouot the passphrase for the encryption.
> >> And is this person using my connection to access the internet?
> >
> > This other SSID is probably one of your neighbours access points. Are
> > you connecting the lappy with your PC by IBSS, ad hoc? Otherwise give
> > your access point a unique name. Not the default one.
>
>
> Connecting by Infrastructure, and the access point has a unique name.
>
> So, is it probably not connecting through my internet connection? The
> other SSID displays a different channel number to mine.

No, it's definately not connecting through your wireless network. All
you're seeing is some of the other wireless networks within range. Other
SSIDs in range could be non-broadcasting. No need to change anything on
your connection (leave SSID broadcasting on to warn/keep off others from
using the same channel as you are using).