Router question

edited August 2010 in Hardware
Maybe a dumb question. When my WLAN light is blinking does that mean someone is using my wireless? Sometimes my laptop will be shut down and my sister not home to be using the wireless and the WLAN light will be blinking. I don't understand who else could be accessing my wireless.

Comments

  • 8)

    who the fuck knows,,, mine flashes all the time...

    maybe she has AIM on.
  • Ka0s wrote:
    8)

    who the fuck knows,,, mine flashes all the time...

    maybe she has AIM on.

    They do not use AIM they use yahoo but I do not think it stays signed on. When my laptop is just idle it will blink fast but maybe that is because yahoo is signed on. I never thought about messenger programs making it blink.
  • 8)


    you do know that your router and pc need to keep in constant contact so they knwo the other exists, right?
  • Ka0s wrote:
    8)


    you do know that your router and pc need to keep in constant contact so they knwo the other exists, right?

    Yes I know that.
  • 8)


    ever think that its the latopcheckking in with the router?

    i keep my router facing awayfrom me so i dont ever see it blinking. all i can see is the modem, which doesnt do as much, but with winboards back itgs doing alot of flashing these days.
  • Ka0s wrote:
    8)


    ever think that its the latopcheckking in with the router?

    i keep my router facing awayfrom me so i dont ever see it blinking. all i can see is the modem, which doesnt do as much, but with winboards back itgs doing alot of flashing these days.

    OK I try to keep mine in an open area so my sister can get a good enough signal. I put it in the closet once and she would not connect. I am surprised she can even connect because its over 500 FT to her house I think it is close to 800 feet to 1000 feet. She gets like 1 bar sometimes 2 bars.
  • My router blinks constantly. Besides the activity lights, it has a flashing status light which makes no sense. It flashes when it's fully operational, but goes steady when something's wrong. Should be the other way around.

    Also, because of the way the cable network works, my WAN activity light never stops blinking. I've learned to just ignore it.

    As far as someone else using your wireless, it's unlikely. As I understand it, you're in a rural area and your sister is probably the only one close enough to access it. If you're worried about that, check the DHCP leases in your router. Most people, when they steal wireless don't configure a static IP. So if you see some leases that don't belong to any of your computers or your sisters, then you know someone is trying to use your wireless. Well, it's not definitive, but it's a clue.

    Also, some routers have a wireless devices page in the config that shows all of the active wireless devices connected to it. Check that if your router has it.

    It's not uncommon for it to blink like that. The wireless cards in your computers or your sisters are probably just polling the router to make sure it can still see it.

    I don't know what kind of router you have, but it might blink when it's just broadcasting the beacon or SSID or whatever.
  • BlueSun wrote:
    My router blinks constantly. Besides the activity lights, it has a flashing status light which makes no sense. It flashes when it's fully operational, but goes steady when something's wrong. Should be the other way around.

    Also, because of the way the cable network works, my WAN activity light never stops blinking. I've learned to just ignore it.

    As far as someone else using your wireless, it's unlikely. As I understand it, you're in a rural area and your sister is probably the only one close enough to access it. If you're worried about that, check the DHCP leases in your router. Most people, when they steal wireless don't configure a static IP. So if you see some leases that don't belong to any of your computers or your sisters, then you know someone is trying to use your wireless. Well, it's not definitive, but it's a clue.

    Also, some routers have a wireless devices page in the config that shows all of the active wireless devices connected to it. Check that if your router has it.

    It's not uncommon for it to blink like that. The wireless cards in your computers or your sisters are probably just polling the router to make sure it can still see it.

    I don't know what kind of router you have, but it might blink when it's just broadcasting the beacon or SSID or whatever.

    I still have the WRT54G the one I got in 2006. I had some trouble with it once but I reset it and it gets back to normal. The funny thing is I had a $75.00 gift card from Dell. I got a Netgear wireless N. I figured my sister would get a better signal even though she has a G card. She gets better signal with the WRT54G. My laptop has Wireless N and I have had the routers both on right by each other I walked outside across the yard and I even got a better signal with the WRT54G. I think the Antennas are better on the WRT54G. The Netgear has built in Antennas.
  • I have a isp that locks you in to there modeom\router, and the wireless on it is crap,

    ... But with the light
    Its off when no one is connected, blinking when you are,

    But, I live near no one, and when ever I have problems my isp has some sort of problem, with my wireless passcode off.

    I'f I walk out of my house with my laptop I get no wi-fi, even on the other aide of the wall with the router,

    its a 2wire, router modem,

    sorry about bumping an old post, just noticed
  • Bigjake52 wrote:
    I have a isp that locks you in to there modeom\router, and the wireless on it is crap,

    ... But with the light
    Its off when no one is connected, blinking when you are,

    But, I live near no one, and when ever I have problems my isp has some sort of problem, with my wireless passcode off.

    I'f I walk out of my house with my laptop I get no wi-fi, even on the other aide of the wall with the router,

    its a 2wire, router modem,

    sorry about bumping an old post, just noticed

    I live in the middle of everything, if you know my phone # you have my wifi password, i really don't care either.
  • LoL my freind does the same thing his wi-fi pass is his phone number,
    It's set in my wii as i brought it over a few times, but where he lives, people will join on the wifi... Well dumb people will
  • Well.... the LEDs blinking on my router is less annoying than the ones on my modem, which is orange (It's a damn Motorola surf board one) and the router's (noganet, which sucks dongs) one is green. Anyway, I don't care much about it :)

    Also, the password is 11 char-long and it's combined with upper-case letters and numbers, damn disappointing for Wi-Fi hijackers :P
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