Our small store has for years put up an open unencrypted wireless router with the SSID storename-public, as a community service, with the 'public' in the SSID so that users would know not to transmit sensitive info across it.
Recently we noticed a dramatic slowdown and realized someone nearby has put up an extender with the SSID storename-public_EXT.
We have several problems with this:
- The first being of course the impact on our own throughput.
- Another problem is the possibility that they are actually capturing private info and we will get the bad rep.
- The third problem is the simple fact that they are using our network in an unauthorised manner.
We'd like to keep the open wireless up. Is there a way to block the extender without requiring passwords on our own router? What would be the effect of changing our SSID to something 32 chars long; would that stymie their extender? The extender apparently clones our own MAC address so I can't block that.
63 Answers
Can't see how you can do much about this unless you implement some form of user or device access control - check the options in your router's setup. If you are offering a free wifi service, some access management companies, for example Worldspot, will give you a free account to setup a ticketed access system, although you will have to check whether your internet access device is compatible - it certainly works with anything running DD-WRT
As an aside there are legal implications in many countries in offering a public wifi hotspot so do make sure you know your obligations and liabilities.
2It looks as though the router you are using is limited in features based on what I'm reading here and really you won't be able to do anything further with it.
I would type up a polite note and stick it on each of your neighbor's doors early one morning before the start of a business day and tell them that you are aware that someone is doing this and you would like it to stop.
Its hard to block something that you are giving away for free. You can use a laptop/wifi locator to track down the source of the extender and ask them to stop. If they refuse, you can go to the police, as what they are doing is considered theft. People have been arrested and convicted of unauthorized wifi usage.
