Sunday, May 8, 2016

Tabula Rosa Systems Blog Of 5/8/2016 - Stop! Thief! - Stop Neighbors From Stealing Your Internet




Stop neighbors from stealing your Internet

 Kim Komando, Special for USA TODAY8:47 a.m. EST November 20, 2015
You're ready to stream the latest episode of your favorite show. The popcorn smell permeates the room, you're settled in your favorite spot and everything is perfect. When you fire up Netflix, frustration sets in. The video is fuzzy and keeps pausing.
Perhaps your Internet connection hit a temporary speed bump or is it something else? Could your neighbors be tapping into your Internet connection, sucking up valuable bandwidth and leaving you and your gadgets with just leftover crumbs of capacity? How do you know which it is? And if someone is stealing your Internet, what can you do about it?
Catch the Internet thief
Start by taking stock of your network. Log in to your router and check the section that shows what gadgets are connected to the network. Check your router's manual for instructions on logging in. If you can't find your manual, download a digital copy here.
If you want an easier solution, you can grab the aptly named Wireless Network Watcher. This free program gives you a list of gadgets connected to your Wi-Finetwork.
Once you have the list of connected gadgets, identify the ones that belong to you. Your computer should show up in the list using its name, for example. Your tablet or smartphone should have the manufacturer or operating system name in there somewhere. You’ll also see streaming video gadgets and video game consoles.
If you can't make heads or tails of the list, simply turn off each gadget one by one (or just disable the gadget's Wi-Fi ) to figure out what is what. Take a screen shot or write it down for future reference. When you find a gadget connected to your network that doesn't belong to you, there’s the culprit.
You might need to check back a few times if the Internet slowdown is random. The culprit might only be using your Internet infrequently.
Stop an Internet thief
Even if you spot a rogue connection, however, you won't be able to tell exactly who is connected. You could barge into your neighbors' houses to check their gadgets' names and MAC addresses. For the record, I don't recommend doing that.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter. Encrypting your Wi-Fi network will usually be enough to keep intruders out. Click here to learn how to secure your Wi-Fi against intruders.
In fact, you should secure your Wi-Fi network no matter what. There are too many horror stories of criminals or perverts using someone else's Wi-Fi in hacking attacks or trading illegal images. As the owner of the Wi-Fi, you're going to have to straighten things out with the police, and it won't be fun.
If your network is already encrypted, and someone still snuck on, change your password immediately. Then, keep an eye on things to see if they manage to get on again.
If they do, it's possible they got into your router and set up a backdoor. Reset your router to factory settings (check your manual for instructions) then set it up again from scratch. That means changing the default password, enabling encryption, picking a new SSID and turning off any remote management features.
Note: If you change your encryption password, you will need to update the password on all your gadgets before they can connect again.
Other causes of a slowdown
If you go through these steps and don't see an unauthorized connection on your Wi-Fi, and your Internet is still slow, then you'll need to do more troubleshooting. Test your Internet speed to see if it matches the speed that you're paying for. Try running the speed test a few times with your computer both plugged directly into the router and over Wi-Fi.
If your Wi-Fi speed is way slower than your Internet speed, disconnect all but one of your gadgets and try it again. It could be that you have too many and they're bogging down the network. If that's the case, you might need to upgrade your router to a newer model that can handle more traffic.
Otherwise, call your Internet provider and express your concerns. You might be due for a modem upgrade or there could be another problem on the line. If you do need a modem upgrade, learn a handy buying trick that can save you money in the long run.
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For a great satire on email, please see the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgYHHKs0Zwscoop_post=bcaa0440-2548-11e5-c1bd-90b11c3d2b20&__scoop_topic=2455618
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Good Netiquette And A Green Internet To All! 

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Another Special Announcement - Tune in to my radio interview,  on Rider University's station, www.1077thebronc.com I discuss my recent book, above on "Your Career Is Calling", hosted by Wanda Ellett.   

In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

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In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have enjoyed a dynamic and successful career and have attained an extensive background in IT and electronic communications by selling and marketing within the information technology marketplace.Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.
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