OT - WiFi Help (Or WTF should I say?)

[Ian]

It's not usual that I ask for help on basic IT stuff, since I am an IT professional, but I'd just like to express my anger in regards to this problem, and if anyone can suggest how to troubleshoot.

My Director's Wife has a Laptop, which connects to her encrypted WiFi Orange Livebox perfectly.

On certain occasions when she turns her Laptop on, the WiFi connection on her Livebox goes amiss and the Laptop attempts to connect to an unsecured WiFi in the surrounding area (Actually it's next door).

So I thought, fine, I'll log on to Mr. Unsecured and turn off his WiFi, that way there's no way that her Laptop can connect to Mr. Unsecured's WiFi, right?

In the View Wireless Connections list, I can see this "BTVOYAGER1500" Unsecured Network (which is Mr. Unsecured next door), so I connect, and type a ipconfig /all to get the default gateway.

I log into the router, and low and behold, it's another Orange Livebox ! And yes, you can browse the Internet while connected to this "BTVOYAGER" Livebox.

So I just thought, haha, the idiot has changed the name of the Livebox's SSID name - but NO! His livebox name is Wanadoo-51241 or something. How is this possible?

I've pinged all possible IP addresses in the subnet and there's only one router online - the Livebox.

So, cool, I just disable "WiFi" in the Livebox - Done! Still can connect to "Livebox" on Mr. Unsecured's Network next door - WTF? So the Laptop MUST be connecting to a BT Voyager Router, such as the SSID name suggests. (ipconfig /all still brings up the same IP address for the default gateway, which accesses this damn Livebox)

This suggests to me that the BT Voyager Router is forwarding all packets to this Livebox. So where's the login page (IP address) for this BT Voyager Router?

I've never "paired" routers together as such before, but surely it's not on a different subnet? - assuming it has been paired?

Obviously it MUST have an IP address, but I'm not pinging all 6 billiob addresses to find out what it is.

And yes, I have DHCP enabled on the Laptop.

Can anyone suggest what to do next?

(knocking on next door is not an option)

 

[Allan Wall]

re

sounds very weird, not sure i totally understand on firs tread, lol, what about tracert a website, or the livebox to check its going straight there? not through a different ip address?

dunno?

 

[Ian]

Basically, it's connected to this WiFi called BTVOYAGER-1500, but the "default gateway" is an Orange Livebox. No matter what I do (including a dodgy firmware upgraded to f-u-c-k up the livebox) it still connects to this BTVOYAGER-1500 Unsecured Wireless Network.

It sounds like to me the BTVOYAGER is giving the WiFi signal and the Livebox is hosting the ADSL dialup.

So, like I said no matter what I do to the livebox, the BTVOYAGER insists that I still connect to it's unsecured network.

 

[Ian]

It would be intelligent to assume that the BTVOYAGER's DHCP is turned off. But what the feck is the IP?

Since there's no odd routing-tables in the Livebox, one would automatically assume that it's not a cross-subnet setup.

HOW INFURIATING!

 

[KeithR]

What if, your livebox thing (whats one of them?) is using the BT Voyager router instead of connecting straight to the internet, and that would explain why it said BTVOYAGER but default was still livebox????

KeithR

 

[Allan Wall]

re

but then the live box woudl have the btvoyager ip as a gateway or something?

if you can log into the livebox can you change the ip address and turn off dhcp so you can't get into it anymore?

Allan?

 

[Allan Wall]

re

if you do tracert does it just jump from livebox then out onto internet?

if you can fook up the live box but it still goes onto internet it must show you the other routers ip ?

 

[Ian]

No - I can f-u-c-k up the livebox which then drops me off the Internet but I am still connected to the "BTVOYAGERS" WiFi.

Tracert won't bring up anything, it's just to do with hops.

 

[Ian]

I can turn off DHCP but it still wants to connect to the "BTVOYAGER". Except it gives me the "limited or no connectivity"

I don't want the f'ing system to pick up the BTVOYAGER's WiFi at all - that's the problem !

 

[Ian]

Ah,

I see your point now allan. Good question about the tracert.

I'll try that. At least then it will confirm my suspicious about the IP address being on a different subnet !

 

[Roberto]

Anyone considered the fact that Mr "Next Door" might be using cloning ?

Also, I couldn't possibly endorse the highly illegal acts that have been carried out here, regardless of whether Mr "Next Door" has left his network unsecured or not !

Rob

Marea Weekend 1.8 16v 115 ELX

 

[Ian]

Yes Yes Roberto.

Don't forget, I'm a thieving scouser (Apparently).

Shut your face before the Forum Police get you ! (joke)

 

[Ian]

How does cloning work?

 

[Roberto]

Before the forum police get ME ???

I AM the forum police !!! LOL

Cloning is where one wireless device clones the MAC address of another. I use it on my PS2 Wireless adapter so the WiFi adpater clones the PS2 MAC address to gain access to the network.

I'm not saying that's what's happening, but it's a possibility.

And I also have an Orange Livebox and they really aren't that technical, so my guess is that it's either cloned, paired up with a BT router and one of them uses MAC address filtering or there are two routers in two different locations. Actually, now I think of it, to gain access to an Orange Livebox, you need to pair up with it and pairing can only be activated by the Livebox owner pressing a button on the box. Pressing this button activates pairing for about 10 minutes, although this time limit can be changed by the user. Once an item is paired, the MAC address filter kicks in and only devices listed in the Livebox's "Connected Devices" list can use it.

Anyway, I though you were the IT expert

Rob

Marea Weekend 1.8 16v 115 ELX

 

[Ian]

That sort of explains it.

But it doesn't explain how I can mess up his BT-Router. It can't be that hard to change some hex codes in a firmware update.
That'll keep him offline for a week

Haha, you are the Forum Police and I am the IT Expert. At least my job is real

 

[Roberto]

Do you believe everything the fairies tell you ?

Rob

Marea Weekend 1.8 16v 115 ELX