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[brettar]

Hi, I have this hunch that a neighbor is hacking my wireless connection.
My network is like this: From the internet service provider modem, to a switch, and from the switch to the DIR-600 router. Other computers are also connected hard wired to the switch.
The network connection is visible to neighbors.

Now, the hacking as I can see is not like they are stealing my connection in order to surf the web. It's actually that they are killing my internet connection, in order to deny me access to it.
The scenario: I'm using my computer and suddenly on my network icon near the clock it says "a network cable has been unplugged", so I check the cable and the router and switch and modem and everything is well connected, but the problem remains.
The only thing that enables the connection again is if I unplug and plug again the power from the router and from the switch.
Also, I have used the network without the wireless DIR-600 for many days and the problem never happens. But if I connect the wireless any other day, then for sure the problems starts.
From what I can see is like they are hacking the router, and once they hack the router is like all connections on the pcs are disabled.

I have just did a reset to the router.
How can I secure the router so that this hacking does not happens again?
Do I need to change settings in the configuration?

Thanks.

[FurryNutz]

• What Hardware version is your router? Look at sticker under router.
• Link>What Firmware version is currently loaded? Found on the routers web page under status.
• What region are you located?

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?
• What ISP Modem service link speeds UP and Down do you have?

Recommended connections between devices should be as follows:
ISP modem>DIR-600 router<>Any LAN wired devices and switches connected to the back of the router.

I would remove the switch and test the PC to the router and modem to see if it happens again.

Swap out cables between ISP modem, Router and PC.

• Check cable between Modem and Router, swap out to be sure. Link> Cat6 is recommended.

Ensure the PCs network adapter card is in good working condition and it's drivers are up to date. Auto Speed connection should be configured on the adapter card.

[FurryNutz]

Any status on this? 

[brettar]

Any status on this? 

yes. I'm going to post some info later in the day.

[brettar]

• What Hardware version is your router? Look at sticker under router.
• Link>What Firmware version is currently loaded? Found on the routers web page under status.
• What region are you located?

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?
• What ISP Modem service link speeds UP and Down do you have?

Recommended connections between devices should be as follows:
ISP modem>DIR-600 router<>Any LAN wired devices and switches connected to the back of the router.

I would remove the switch and test the PC to the router and modem to see if it happens again.

Swap out cables between ISP modem, Router and PC.

• Check cable between Modem and Router, swap out to be sure. Link> Cat6 is recommended.

Ensure the PCs network adapter card is in good working condition and it's drivers are up to date. Auto Speed connection should be configured on the adapter card.

Hi, here's the info you asked:

router info:
Hardware Version : B1
Firmware Version : 2.01.

I'm located at Panama, Central America.

My ISP service is cable modem.
The modem manufacturer is Arris and the model is TM602G/115
The internet speeds are: for download: 2 mbps, for upload: 1 mbps

Connections between devices:
I had always had this connection setup: modem-->router--->switch, and it was with this setup that the problem began. So that's why I changed to: modem-->switch-->router, but as stated in the original question the problem continued happening.

I also tested with modem--->router--->pc but the problem continued.
I also changed the cables but the problem continued.

The network adapters: I'm using 2, from the two pcs that I'm using, and they are working fine.

[brettar]

Oh, I forgot. I couldn't use Cat6 cable. The only cable available I have is Cat5e.

[FurryNutz]

• What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only. Some WiFi adapters don't support AES, so you might want to try TPIK only or Auto TPIK and AES.

I'd change the SSID and PW, use WPA2/AES only and don't give out the PW. Does this router have a hidden SSID feature? Might try it out as well..


I recommend placing the switch behind the router, not in front. This can cause some connections issues.

You might change out the ISP modem as well...

[brettar]

• What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only. Some WiFi adapters don't support AES, so you might want to try TPIK only or Auto TPIK and AES.

I'd change the SSID and PW, use WPA2/AES only and don't give out the PW. Does this router have a hidden SSID feature? Might try it out as well..


I recommend placing the switch behind the router, not in front. This can cause some connections issues.

You might change out the ISP modem as well...

Right now, I have just set security mode to WPA/WPA2 Wireless Security (enhanced) with CYpher type on AES.
I changed the SSID and password.
I have also enabled the hidden SSID feature.
I also placed the switch behind the router.

So far, I have not seen any problem.
So, I'm gonna use the wireless with this setup the whole week and will tell you how all went down.
Many Thanks!!

[FurryNutz]

Good, keep us posted...

[brettar]

Hi, I have used the router with the new setup for more than 2 weeks now and the performance is better.

The issue with the "a network cable has been unplugged" message on my network icon near the clock is now gone.
I have access now all the time to the internet.
However, there is one new thing that's happening now: I'm surfing a particular website(website 1) for a while and suddenly that website becomes unavailable. If I go to other different website(website 2) I have access to it. But then that new website becomes unavailable after a while. Then, if I try to go to website 1, I now have access to it again.
This kind of behavior is one which makes me think that is some hacking involved here.
What I think is happening is that somehow this neighbor can see the particular website which I'm surfing and then he blocks it. Then, when I go to other website he block that one too but leaves the first available and so on. This is what I believe is happening but I have no proof of this.

So, if the neighbor is doing some hacking to the router I would like to have some proof.
So, I believe this router has some log?
Could I enable this log to see if an external ip adress(neighbor ip) is connecting to the router?
Also,
What about enabling mac adress filtering on the router for more protection? Could this help?

[FurryNutz]

Try using different browser like Opera, or FF to see if they exhibit the same problem with the web sites.
Clear any browser caches.
Temporarily disable 3rd party PC security SW or browser add-ons to see if there is any interferences there.

Yes you can turn on MAC filtering and put in all of your devices into the filter.

I'd review your MAC devices addresses and then look for any MAC addresses that don't belong to you in the Status/Device Info/Connected Devices list or under Wireless Status.

[brettar]

Try using different browser like Opera, or FF to see if they exhibit the same problem with the web sites.
Clear any browser caches.
Temporarily disable 3rd party PC security SW or browser add-ons to see if there is any interferences there.

Yes you can turn on MAC filtering and put in all of your devices into the filter.

I'd review your MAC devices addresses and then look for any MAC addresses that don't belong to you in the Status/Device Info/Connected Devices list or under Wireless Status.

Ok. I have turned on Mac filtering, I will see how that works out.

[brettar]

One thing though,
Could it be that they are hacking the isp modem as well?

I mean, I have been testing a lot these last days and several times I connected the switch to the modem and the computers to the switch, and there was no dlink router involved, but there was no access to the internet whatsoever.
It just seemed weird that this setup always worked when there were problems with the router, but now all of the sudden is also giving problems?

[FurryNutz]

Even though your TM602 is a VoIP Gateway, I don't think there is any WiFi built in.

If you are concerned about the ISP modem, I would as the ISP if there is an upgrade to this modem. I recommend getting into a stand alone modem if you can. Something with out any built in router.

• If this modem has a built in router, it's best to bridge the modem. Having 2 routers on the same line can cause connection problems: Link>Double NAT and How NAT Works. To tell if the modem is bridged or not, look at the routers web page, Status/Device Info/Wan Section, if there is a 192.168.0.# address in the WAN IP address field, then the modem is not bridged. If the modem can't be bridged then see if the modem has a DMZ option and input the IP address the router gets from the modem and put that into the modems DMZ. Also check the routers DHCP IP address maybe conflicting with the ISP modems IP address 192.168.0.1. Check to see if this is the same on the ISP modem and if modem can't be bridged. If so, change the DIR router to 192.168.1.1 or .0.254.
  Example of a D-Link router configured for PPPoE with ISP Modem bridged: PPPoE Configuration on Router

[brettar]

Even though your TM602 is a VoIP Gateway, I don't think there is any WiFi built in.

If you are concerned about the ISP modem, I would as the ISP if there is an upgrade to this modem. I recommend getting into a stand alone modem if you can. Something with out any built in router.

• If this modem has a built in router, it's best to bridge the modem. Having 2 routers on the same line can cause connection problems: Link>Double NAT and How NAT Works. To tell if the modem is bridged or not, look at the routers web page, Status/Device Info/Wan Section, if there is a 192.168.0.# address in the WAN IP address field, then the modem is not bridged. If the modem can't be bridged then see if the modem has a DMZ option and input the IP address the router gets from the modem and put that into the modems DMZ. Also check the routers DHCP IP address maybe conflicting with the ISP modems IP address 192.168.0.1. Check to see if this is the same on the ISP modem and if modem can't be bridged. If so, change the DIR router to 192.168.1.1 or .0.254.
  Example of a D-Link router configured for PPPoE with ISP Modem bridged: PPPoE Configuration on Router

I can't see a Wan Section under Status/Device Info/. I only see Lan, Internet and Wireless 802.11n.