Is someone stealing my internet?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Since having my internet installed here in China, I've noticed my connection speed getting slower, and slower. I have a DSL connection, that must first pass through a router provided by my internet company. Unfortunately, all of the menus are in Chinese, making it difficult for me to navigate. I ended up using the tech-smart Chinese guy that also set up our Satellite TV. He was able to configure the system, so that my VoIP telephone, would be always connected. The router provided by the internet company required that you enter a password every time you logged onto the internet. That feature would not allow my VoIP box to work, so we somehow had to bypass the password protection.

 

It does appear that someone may be getting a free ride using our internet connection, but I'm not sure how detect and prevent that from happening. I would normally configure security protection for the router, but I'm having a tough time working through the Chinese menus. I was wondering whether any of our tech-guys had any suggestions on how to set this up, and ensure our bandwidth doesn't get eaten alive?

[bob&haiqing]

Hey ShaQuaNew,

 

If you have a wireless router it's a good idea to password protect it so you don't have people jumping on to your connection. I look for open connections like this when I travel and will sometimes use them in a pinch.

 

The risk you run in having an open router is that some other person could change the settings on your router, put a password on it and lock you out. They probably won't do something like that because you'd then be wise to what they are doing and why would they want to lose a free connection

 

The other risk you run is having someone who is very savy get into your computer while you're online. Make sure you have a firewall set up so that can't happen.

 

Have someone here in China who can understand the language help you with it. My future brother-in-law who speaks English well helped me figure out the Chinese language wireless router I bought here in China a year ago ... works great and we're on DSL too.

 

The other problem you may be having is adware and spyware on you computer as you surf the internet, this will slow your system down also. Check out Ad-aware, they have a free version that you have to run manually but it's worth it. I run it about once a week, did it last night and deleted 94 things from being on the internet this week that my computer doesn't need

 

Good luck!

Bob

[Smitty]

Are you using any wireless in your setup? If so, you should try to change your security settings.

 

If someone is stealing your internet, they can also set up a 'man in the middle' attack to get information so be very careful!

 

Maybe your tech guy can use something like this page to help set you up -

http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html

 

And for some amusement!

[Smitty]

So, what's going on ShaQuaNew?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Thanks for the input guys. I do appreciate....

 

 

I agree with the logic about ensuring there is security on any wireless internet connection. The problem I'm facing is that I'm in China, with a Chinese DSL connection, and a Chinese router, with all menus in Chinese. I know what I need to find when I'm reading menus in English, but this is just a freaking challenge. Right now, we're trying to get the Chinese technician back to the house to resolve it. I guess it's just one of the challenges you face by living here.

 

[david_dawei]

Thanks for the input guys. I do appreciate....

 

 

I agree with the logic about ensuring there is security on any wireless internet connection. The problem I'm facing is that I'm in China, with a Chinese DSL connection, and a Chinese router, with all menus in Chinese. I know what I need to find when I'm reading menus in English, but this is just a freaking challenge. Right now, we're trying to get the Chinese technician back to the house to resolve it. I guess it's just one of the challenges you face by living here.

 

I thought your wife and her daughter read chinese

[Smitty]

Well, we don't even know what type of connections you have yet!

 

That is what we need to know.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I thought your wife and her daughter read chinese

 

Funny guy. Like me, you know how hard it can be to communicate to a non-technical person in English about internet connections, computers, and so on. There is nothing worse than trying to explain to my wife, or ask my wife to take a moment and help me navigate menus.

 

"Honey, what does that say?"

"What does what say?"

"That little button right there, what does it mean in English?"

"How can I know? I think it means go around?"

"Go around? Are you sure?"

"I think so."

"Do you see a button that says Menu?"

"How can I know?"

"I mean, don't you see a button that means like Main, or Menu, or List or something like that?"

"I don't know these things. Why do you ask me?"

 

In short, she's a very sweet lady and I love her with all my heart. She just gets intimidated with tech-stuff.

 

Well, we don't even know what type of connections you have yet!

 

That is what we need to know.

 

Regarding the connection, I thought I explained that in my first post, but let me try again.

 

Connection type: DSL. The incoming connection to the house is on the same line as our landline telephone. You plug directly into a telephone jack with a telephone cable that plugs directly into a telephone jack on the router supplied by the internet / telephone company.

 

Router: The router is wireless, with four hardwire ports available on the back. It functions like a dial up connection, PPPoE configuration to the PC. The box is password protected with a username provided by the internet company, with the password being our telephone number.

Edited November 6, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[Smitty]

No, you forgot to say your router is a wireless router. Make and model?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

No, you forgot to say your router is a wireless router. Make and model?

 

I did mention that it's a wireless router, but here is the other information about it:

 

Manufacturer: ZTE

 

Make: Chinanet-KWSJ

 

Model: ZXV10-H608B

 

I don't believe there is an English manual available though. It would be nice if there were.

[Trigg]

I thought your wife and her daughter read chinese

 

Funny guy. Like me, you know how hard it can be to communicate to a non-technical person in English about internet connections, computers, and so on. There is nothing worse than trying to explain to my wife, or ask my wife to take a moment and help me navigate menus.

 

"Honey, what does that say?"

"What does what say?"

"That little button right there, what does it mean in English?"

"How can I know? I think it means go around?"

"Go around? Are you sure?"

"I think so."

"Do you see a button that says Menu?"

"How can I know?"

"I mean, don't you see a button that means like Main, or Menu, or List or something like that?"

"I don't know these things. Why do you ask me?"

 

In short, she's a very sweet lady and I love her with all my heart. She just gets intimidated with tech-stuff.

 

Well, we don't even know what type of connections you have yet!

 

That is what we need to know.

 

Regarding the connection, I thought I explained that in my first post, but let me try again.

 

Connection type: DSL. The incoming connection to the house is on the same line as our landline telephone. You plug directly into a telephone jack with a telephone cable that plugs directly into a telephone jack on the router supplied by the internet / telephone company.

 

Router: The router is wireless, with four hardwire ports available on the back. It functions like a dial up connection, PPPoE configuration to the PC. The box is password protected with a username provided by the internet company, with the password being our telephone number.

Try network magic. It's free and you can download it online. It will tell you who and what is on your network. The paid version allows you to regulate your network.

[Don]

No, you forgot to say your router is a wireless router. Make and model?

 

I did mention that it's a wireless router, but here is the other information about it:

 

Manufacturer: ZTE

 

Make: Chinanet-KWSJ

 

Model: ZXV10-H608B

 

I don't believe there is an English manual available though. It would be nice if there were.

 

 

 

 

 

You need to make sure you have WAP enabled (or WEP if that is all that is offered). You passwork setup by phone company might not be the WAP password. Once you have the WAP setup it will be harder for some one to come in over the wireless. (harder not impossible) Change it every so often if you see others coming in over the wireless.

 

WEP takes less than 1 min to break on a notebook computer

 

WAP takes a few mins to break.

[Sebastian]

Do you need the wireless portion? If not - disconnect the antennas.

 

PPoE TO the computer? that doesn't sound right. DHCP server inside o router, providing TCP/IP protocol to all connected computers.

 

PPoE? Ug.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)

[george lee]

why dont you buy a linksys in china?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I thought your wife and her daughter read chinese

 

Funny guy. Like me, you know how hard it can be to communicate to a non-technical person in English about internet connections, computers, and so on. There is nothing worse than trying to explain to my wife, or ask my wife to take a moment and help me navigate menus.

 

"Honey, what does that say?"

"What does what say?"

"That little button right there, what does it mean in English?"

"How can I know? I think it means go around?"

"Go around? Are you sure?"

"I think so."

"Do you see a button that says Menu?"

"How can I know?"

"I mean, don't you see a button that means like Main, or Menu, or List or something like that?"

"I don't know these things. Why do you ask me?"

 

In short, she's a very sweet lady and I love her with all my heart. She just gets intimidated with tech-stuff.

 

Well, we don't even know what type of connections you have yet!

 

That is what we need to know.

 

Regarding the connection, I thought I explained that in my first post, but let me try again.

 

Connection type: DSL. The incoming connection to the house is on the same line as our landline telephone. You plug directly into a telephone jack with a telephone cable that plugs directly into a telephone jack on the router supplied by the internet / telephone company.

 

Router: The router is wireless, with four hardwire ports available on the back. It functions like a dial up connection, PPPoE configuration to the PC. The box is password protected with a username provided by the internet company, with the password being our telephone number.

Try network magic. It's free and you can download it online. It will tell you who and what is on your network. The paid version allows you to regulate your network.

 

Thanks Trigg, I'll try that tonight!

 

Regarding using a Linksys router, unfortunately, I must use the router provided by the internet company to make the connection.