persiancat

S'pose it doesn't hurt to try and see if anyone here can shed some light.

There are quite a few unsecured wireless connections available in my apartment. I've been trying to connect to one with a Linksys compact wireless-G USB adapter.

One of the connections has "very good" signal strength, but when I try to connect, I get the "limited or no connectivity" error message. When I click on "repair" under Wireless Network Connection status, my computer runs through these steps:

1) Disabling wireless network adaptor
2) Enabling wireless network adaptor
3) Connecting to wireless network
4) Renewing your IP address

...

After the last step I get this message:

"Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action cannot be completed: Renewing your IP address. For assistance, contact the person who manages your network."

I did a little googling around and saw some suggestions for downloadnig and running "WinSockXPFix," but that didn't work either. I also ran Microsoft patch (KB884020) and still no luck.

And yes, I do have SP2.

What should I do?

Dilbert1234567

They may have DHCP disabled; you will need to manually configure the IP settings for your system to join. The most likely configuration would be

IP: 192.168.1.x
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS server: 192.168.1.1

replace x with a number between 1 and 254, however, this can not be one tha tis already used, (by the linksys router, and the other systems on the network.)

How ever, they may not be the correct settings for this particular network, you would need to do some sniffing on the network and learn its schema.


OR

They may have Mac filtering enabled, in that case you would need to sniff long enough to get a valid MAC address and then switch your MAC to that one, how ever if you are on at the same time as that valid computer, it may/will screw stuff up for both parties.

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cyrnel

Those who leave WAPs open intentionally make it easy. Email address for SSID or similar. The others are a mistake. I don't believe discussing any means of unauthorized use (theft of service) is smiled upon at TFP.

Perhaps check signal strength in different areas to locate the apartment before introducing yourself. Ask if they'll share? It's not uncommon for people to share connections in apartment buildings, though the courtesy of asking permission and buying beers would be smart. You'll still get access and the key after the wanker across the hall breaks in.

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Dilbert1234567

Seriously, don’t join a network you don’t trust, all your traffic is at the whim of the person who controls it. They could just as well be copying all your data that you download and upload. emails, passwords, even encrypted traffic is at risk such as banking, its hard, but you are leaving your self open to a man in the middle attack.

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persiancat

Point taken

I have actually done the introducing thing before in a different instance. Turns out it was the wrong apartment, and I couldn't figure out who the hell it belonged to.

Matter of fact, I'd gladly share the cost - it would be pretty damn cheap. But I have no clue how to figure out if it's someone in my own building, someone in the building next to mine... etc etc.

The only reason I thought about accessing an unsecured connection is I pretty much only use the internet to surf, chat, and email - not much downloading here - just harmless stuff that wouldn't even be noticed.

My roommate is ripping me off. She expects me to pay $50/month AFTER splitting the cost between the two of us. Before I moved in, she had already signed a contract for one of those package deals where TV + Internet = cheaper. Except she only applies the discount to her TV portion of things (I opted out of the TV deal). Long story short, we got into a slight tiff when I confronted her about it, so I told her to count me out for the internet from there on in.

And I think that's enough tangential, useless information. Heh. Thanks for trying to help.

*EDIT: Really now? Even if I have a firewall? (That probably sounds really naive, but I honestly don't know.)

Dilbert1234567

A firewall stops people from entering your computer. But since you are sending out and receiving a signal wirelessly this signal can be picked up by anyone. Further more, if you don’t know what you are connecting to. you are trusting that who ever you are connecting to is doing nothing with the data, they could very well be recording everything you do, including your email passwords, your Instant Messenger passwords, and do what ever they want with it. I’ve been working on a proof of concept AIM man in the middle program, basically, I sit between the conversation, and as the messages go back and forth, I allow/deny/add/alter messages with out there knowledge. Now it’s never going to be used, because I am never going to release it, but it is possible. As for encrypted material, it is possible to spoof both the site, the encryption, and beat all the different safe guards to make it look like you are connecting to the proper source, but you are not. The chances are low, but it does happen.

And just a note to everyone about wireless and wired, just because your computer is hooked up via a wire, if there is a wireless section to your network, the ALL traffic including the part that goes over the wired section CAN be viewed wirelessly through several different methods (but I don’t think it is appropriate to mention how here).

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CaliLivChick

Another note... $50/month for TV and internet, after it's split, is about right. I pay $100/month for both, and even a little more now that I've added digital cable and a DVR, which is where the package deal kicks in.

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cyrnel

Dilbert speaks the truth. Your neighbor becomes your ISP and _can_ mess with everything. Casual stuff likely wouldn't matter, and SSL sites are probably safe, unless your neighbor is a high-caliber skank.

I've allowed neighbor friends to use my net but they're secured as far as I can make them and stuck on my DMZ. I would never use a random net myself for more than casual, anonymous browsing. More honeypots out there than you might realize.

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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

Dilbert1234567

yeah spoofing SSL sites is hard, but possible.

Whistles quietly and tries to look inconspicuous...

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persiancat

It's about right for both TV and internet, yes. But I wasn't using the TV portion of things, just the internet. So $50 post cost-split for just surfing the web is a bit much, no?