Someone trying to gain access to my wi-fi network

Is your wifi network password protected? If not, encrypt it. If it is already password protected, change the password and also consider turning on Mac Address Filtering.

These adjustments on made by accessing the router via a web browser. Let us know if you need more info.

By 'encrypt' I meant use a strong WPA/WPA2 password - it's more secure that WEP.

I have no experience of setting up an Airport router other than an Airport Express which is done using Airport Utility in the Utilities folder.

Which exact device do you have as there are plenty of people on here that might be able to offer more information once we know exactly what device you are connecting with.

So the Airport Express is providing the wifi connection, yes? You should be able to review your settings by launching Airport Utility, click on the Airport Express, click on the wireless tab and see whether you have password protected it.

Also, in the menu bar you likely have a wifi icon. If your network has a padlock against it it will indicate that it is secured. You would have put your wifi password in the first time you tried to connect to the network.

It's possible someone has hacked into your network - changing the password to something more secure should get rid of them.

Get into the router. Try entering 192.168.1.1 in the URL field of your browser. Try root or admin for the user name and then enter the password you used. You must know this in order to proceed further.

If you can get into the router, then go to wireless security or anything similar and look around for related entries. You don't want to use WEP; it can be cracked in minutes. Best is WPA2/AES. You need a VERY long all over the keyboard password, upper and lower case. Do not use an ordinary dictionary word or combination. My wireless password is 40+ characters long. Write it down and don't lose it.

If the router is supplied by your phone company, then let them walk you through the setup again. You'll probably have to hit the reset button on the back and do it over.

I like ugly password that cannot be guessed like "e#U6!a)b".

I also name my wireless network to something that is not my name or address, like "BillyBudsStore".

Brute force cracking supplying billions of strings per second might crack that one. Regardless of its randomness, it's too short.

I saw someone recently who named their network something like VirusCentralWiFi - reckons that kept people away 🙂

cactusrose wrote:

I tried several times to go to 192.168.1.1, would not connect. Not sure how to proceed.

You need to call the phone company and let them help you with this. I don't think anyone here will be able to go much further.

I cannot argue with the "too short" statement.

Paul_31 wrote:

I saw someone recently who named their network something like VirusCentralWiFi - reckons that kept people away 🙂

Reminds me: crowded train from Paris-Amsterdam some years ago. Was quite sick with fever. With a thermometer in my mouth, I had plenty of room around me.