How to know if anyone is stealing my internet?

georgey12345 · 05-26-2009, 02:41 AM

I am not a computer genius but i know some stuff so here is the problem. I do not know if someone is stealing my internet, even if it is possible but i prefer to know the facts.
Here are the details: I use Verizon DSL high speed internet. This is NOT wireless internet so don't tell me about securing router and access points (yes!! i read alot). Here is the setup if its necessary. There is a box outside the house with a hard line entering the house. A telephone wire is connected from the hard line jack to a high speed modem which is connected to the computer.
Someone told me this but i am not sure of its validity, so if anyone knows please explain what ARP is about. I was told to run a command named "arp -a" several times and count the number of entries i see. Sometimes i get 7 entries and sometimes i get 8 entries. Does the extra entry indicate someone else is using the internet?

So here are the questions:
1. Is the DSL type (mentioned above) stealable?
2. How to know if someone is stealing it? (Any commands etc)
3. How to find the culprit if there is one?
4. What is ARP about? and is there any validity to the above or is it just nonsense. Please explain

Thank you people!!

woflman · 05-26-2009, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgey12345

I am not a computer genius but i know some stuff so here is the problem. I do not know if someone is stealing my internet, even if it is possible but i prefer to know the facts.
Here are the details: I use Verizon DSL high speed internet. This is NOT wireless internet so don't tell me about securing router and access points (yes!! i read alot). Here is the setup if its necessary. There is a box outside the house with a hard line entering the house. A telephone wire is connected from the hard line jack to a high speed modem which is connected to the computer.
Someone told me this but i am not sure of its validity, so if anyone knows please explain what ARP is about. I was told to run a command named "arp -a" several times and count the number of entries i see. Sometimes i get 7 entries and sometimes i get 8 entries. Does the extra entry indicate someone else is using the internet?

So here are the questions:
1. Is the DSL type (mentioned above) stealable?
2. How to know if someone is stealing it? (Any commands etc)
3. How to find the culprit if there is one?
4. What is ARP about? and is there any validity to the above or is it just nonsense. Please explain

Thank you people!!

1+2. If they can touch to your physican cable, then they can steal. Using bandwith monitor tools, to calculate then compare your used bandwith vs badnwith used on router statics table
3+4. ARP = Adress Resolution Protocol ; which show you a table with IP (logical)address and MAC (physical) address of one computer together. You said there is 7 or 8 entries, so might be your Local network has 7 or 8 computers using together at that time.

**sobeit** · 05-26-2009, 03:22 PM

just check your box outside for another wire, since you are wired if someone is stealing your service, then there would be an unaccounted for wire coming out of your box. You can have the phone company check it for you if you are not sure.

**johnwill** · 05-28-2009, 09:01 AM

It would be VERY difficult to tap into your DSL line before the modem and actually have access without totally disrupting your connection. That being the case, you really only have to check if someone has a cable connected somehow to your router, since that's the only practical place to connect.

thl · 05-30-2009, 11:27 PM

I think you better check in router admin page.
there is something called status and DHCP.
all the devices attached on you router, you can see in that page.

hopefully it's help you.

**johnwill** · 05-31-2009, 09:26 AM

Actually, the DHCP status page isn't a good check. Using a static IP address and inhibiting ping responses for the machine will make you invisible to anyone checking that status in the router's settings.

thl · 06-01-2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwill

Actually, the DHCP status page isn't a good check. Using a static IP address and inhibiting ping responses for the machine will make you invisible to anyone checking that status in the router's settings.

by the way, how do you configure like that?

**johnwill** · 06-02-2009, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thl

by the way, how do you configure like that?

We're attempting to assist in preventing intrusion, not in assisting it here.

georgey12345 · 06-02-2009, 01:19 PM

how do you do that?

georgey12345 · 06-02-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thl

I think you better check in router admin page.
there is something called status and DHCP.
all the devices attached on you router, you can see in that page.

hopefully it's help you.

how do you do that? I use a modem, is it applicable as a router

thl · 06-02-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwill

We're attempting to assist in preventing intrusion, not in assisting it here.

sorry for that.

I just asked for my knowledge.

05-26-2009, 02:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
georgey12345 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? I am not a computer genius but i know some stuff so here is the problem. I do not know if someone is stealing my internet, even if it is possible but i prefer to know the facts. Here are the details: I use Verizon DSL high speed internet. This is NOT wireless internet so don't tell me about securing router and access points (yes!! i read alot). Here is the setup if its necessary. There is a box outside the house with a hard line entering the house. A telephone wire is connected from the hard line jack to a high speed modem which is connected to the computer. Someone told me this but i am not sure of its validity, so if anyone knows please explain what ARP is about. I was told to run a command named "arp -a" several times and count the number of entries i see. Sometimes i get 7 entries and sometimes i get 8 entries. Does the extra entry indicate someone else is using the internet? So here are the questions: 1. Is the DSL type (mentioned above) stealable? 2. How to know if someone is stealing it? (Any commands etc) 3. How to find the culprit if there is one? 4. What is ARP about? and is there any validity to the above or is it just nonsense. Please explain Thank you people!!

05-26-2009, 03:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
sobeit TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NEAR Posts: 7,433 OS: windows/linux	Re: How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? just check your box outside for another wire, since you are wired if someone is stealing your service, then there would be an unaccounted for wire coming out of your box. You can have the phone company check it for you if you are not sure. __________________ there's been global warming since the ice age

05-28-2009, 09:01 AM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,774 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? It would be VERY difficult to tap into your DSL line before the modem and actually have access without totally disrupting your connection. That being the case, you really only have to check if someone has a cable connected somehow to your router, since that's the only practical place to connect. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

05-30-2009, 11:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
thl Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burma(Myanmar) Posts: 34 OS: Vista(sp1) and XP(sp3) dual boot	Re: How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? I think you better check in router admin page. there is something called status and DHCP. all the devices attached on you router, you can see in that page. hopefully it's help you. Last edited by thl; 05-30-2009 at 11:29 PM.

05-31-2009, 09:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,774 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? Actually, the DHCP status page isn't a good check. Using a static IP address and inhibiting ping responses for the machine will make you invisible to anyone checking that status in the router's settings. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

06-02-2009, 01:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
georgey12345 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Re: How to know if anyone is stealing my internet? how do you do that?