# How to tell when someone is using my internet service



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

I think someone is using my internet service when I am gone.

I called my ISP and they told me there was "some" activity in the time frame I asked about. I told them no one was home then. They said "maybe your computer was doing updates". I told them that I was not home, nor were any of my computers. There was nothing in the house to update.
He told me they do not keep detailed records of when someone gets on and off or where they go.

HOW do I do this? Is there something out there that will tell me when someone logs on, and where they have been? 
Thank you so much!


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

What kind of Internet service do you have? Dialup, cable, DSL, wireless? Do you have a wireless router running in your house?


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Nevada said:


> What kind of Internet service do you have? Dialup, cable, DSL, wireless? Do you have a wireless router running in your house?


Wireless router in house.
It's not cable or satellite.......there's a square receiver thing on my house that picks up a signal from a tower. From there in comes into the house from a little box, that I plug the router into....


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Password protect the connection.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

InvalidID said:


> Password protect the connection.


It is!!!


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Well, the router could be updating or pinging the tower. If you're really worried about it change the PW and make it a tougher one to crack. Mix up capitals, numbers, and such.

Example: 2Goats4LaurA

Or you could unplug it when you leave.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Laura Zone 5 said:


> Wireless router in house.
> It's not cable or satellite.......there's a square receiver thing on my house that picks up a signal from a tower. From there in comes into the house from a little box, that I plug the router into....


It's probably a neighbor who gets your wireless signal strong enough to use it. Most likely there's nothing nefarious going on. You can either take InvalidID's advice and use security, or better yet ask your neighbor to chip-in for the cost of Internet. He may be more than happy to split the cost to share your connection.

It's even possible that your neighbor doesn't know that he's using your connection. That happens all the time. If someone is in a part of their house where their own signal is weak, your signal may get picked-up automatically without him knowing.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks so much for the ideas.

What if I just want to see who in my house is on the internet, when, and what they are looking at?


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

I'd also check the TYPE of security. For instance, I would be using WPA2 Personal with AES encryption.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Is your router completely​ open or do you at least have password set up?


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

I have some friends who have installed a parental control program on their router, so that the children's I-pods, phones etc are restricted to the parental controls instead of just the computers. If I recall correctly, they get a weekly listing of who has looked at what and when. I've e-mailed them to see if they can send me the name of the program.
Dawn


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Kung said:


> I'd also check the TYPE of security. For instance, I would be using WPA2 Personal with AES encryption.


I have my wireless protected at to 64 bits. 30 at ramdom numbers that I only know. So that way nobody can sit on the road out of site and use My Connection.
Now late this summer I will be getting internet speed at 10 Mbps and at that time the entire house will become a WiFi spot!!!! COOL
They will install a WiFi receiver inside the house and I will also have Fiber Optics coming directly to the house!
I am also getting my TV over the DLS lines as easy as next week.
A savings of nearly 40 bucks from what I am now paying Directv four th next 18 months then after that it will still be cheaper then having Directv and I also will have a DVR. YEAH.\
Ão at that point in time I sure will want to protect my signal, as the whole house will be a "WiFi Hot Spot". LOL


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

I haven't heard back from the people I send the e-mail to, but I think the program might be Family Shield Open DNS, and a description is here, you can download it for free on the home page:
OpenDNS - Parental Controls: Block Adult Internet sites at Home

Dawn


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

InvalidID said:


> Or you could unplug it when you leave.


This always works


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## joseph97297 (Nov 20, 2007)

My neighbor had the same situation, and since ATT has put caps on the account, he didn't know anyone was piggy-backing his signal until he got a bill for around 160 for a month (standard is 35-40). Seems that they give 150 GB and charge per over, so he asked me what to do. His was not secured, so I had him pick four numbers that he would remember and make a password this way:

eight8*three3#nine9([email protected]

This way all he had to remember was the four numbers, but it does make for a decent password (spell the number, numerical number, shift and number)

He asked if that would solve it, and I gave him the same advice that you have gotten here, to be sure, unplug it.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Encryption helps when you don't want people to be able to eavesdrop, but limiting the MAC addresses can be a positive way of eliminating unauthorized access.


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## Bandit (Oct 5, 2008)

On our computer if we go wireless , we can pick up 12 signals from the apartment complex on the hill above us , and 9 are un-locked . LOL


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Bandit said:


> On our computer if we go wireless , we can pick up 12 signals from the apartment complex on the hill above us , and 9 are un-locked . LOL


I had a girlfriend who had an apartment in Las Vegas who never paid for high-speed Internet the entire time she lived there. Nobody locked-down their router, and no one complained. I suspect they never knew.


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