Unknown Belkin Network Infrastructure + How To Turn Off WPS (?)

I checked my “Network” and seen a new “Network Infrastructure” called “Belkin N Wireless Router” is this normal? I tried clicking on it and it asked me for a PIN number. The router seems to disappear and reappear a lot. Does this mean someone else using our network? I checked the list of available networks and one of them was named “belkin.306” so it seemed pretty fishy. Does this mean this router can access my network or computer/computer’s files/information? I’ve been getting malware frequently lately, I was wondering if this was the reason. (That or my relatives have been using the computer too much heh ^^;)

I did some research and it seems that this is a result of a bad flaw in Wireless Protection Security (Or it is called something like that). I read that it can let a hacker hack into your WPA or WPA2 password or something? (I use WEP though, but I’d assume it’d work on WEP too) How do I turn this off so no more routers show up on my network? I can’t seem to figure out how. I’m horrible at this kind of stuff. ^^;

I want to make sure my network is as secure and safe possible.

The PC I’m using is a Windows 7 HP laptop. I use a Netgear Router.
Thanks in advance!
Sorry for the trouble!
:slight_smile:

can you see that network if you turn off your wireless router ?
if so. then i guess it is one of your neighbors network you see…

I want to make sure my network is as secure and safe possible
how to secure your router, should be in your user guide.... that you also can find on the net.. WEP is not very good.......best to use WPA or better WPA2

Thank you for such a fast reply! :smiley:
I’m assuming I was correct about WPS and its issues?

Does that mean they can access my network or affect/interact it in some way?
At the moment, I can’t see it on my infrastructure/under “Network” on my PC.

Though my network is “secured”, to further secure it I believe I need to turn off WPS. I will look it up.
Also, my network wouldn’t work when I tried to switch my security key over to WPA or WPA2. It said the settings configured for the network wasn’t compatible with the router or something around that.

Thanks! :wink:

From what I read, it sounds like WPS can never be completely disabled unless your router doesn’t have it at all. At least the way I interpreted it, and there’s a high chance I’m wrong. :stuck_out_tongue:

Here is what I read:
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/01/hands-on-hacking-wifi-protected-setup-with-reaver.ars

[QUOTE=From Link Above]The bottom line is that, while WPS was designed for simple security, there is no such thing as simple security. The only way to be absolutely sure that someone can’t gain access to your wireless network with the WPS hack is to make sure you use a router that doesn’t support the protocol.
[/quote]

Why not simply start using WPA2 as already recommended. ???

(Seeing other available networks, especially in an urban area, is quite natural.
Accessing them is an entirely different story.)
Just because you’re neighbor may see your connection or you see his doesn’t mean either of you have
access to that connection unless you know the access code.

How do NETGEAR Home routers defend WiFi Protected Setup PIN against brute force vulnerability?
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19824/kw/disable%20wps

At first, my network wouldn’t work when I tried to switch my security key over to WPA or WPA2. As soon as I switched over to WPA or WPA2 it disconnected me from the network, and then I couldn’t get back on. When I tried to connect, it said “The settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network”.

However I just used Netgear’s website to change to WPA2-PSK [AES] and THEN after it disconnected me I used the properties to change the network over to WPA2. Then it worked. :wink:
Okay, I’m just rambling on now. Sorry.

[QUOTE=Pondus]
How do NETGEAR Home routers defend WiFi Protected Setup PIN against brute force vulnerability?
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19824/kw/disable%20wps
[/quote]
As I stated above, I successfully changed my security key to WPA2-PSK [AES]. But I wasn’t able to find WPS under “Advanced > Wireless Settings”. I seen something called “WMM”, but I didn’t think that was it? Nonetheless, the stronger security key should be enough?

Thanks for all you guys’ replies! ;D

what is the full name on your router… Netgear … ?

Not to sound stupid, but you mean the numbers and letter combination on the bottom of the router?

yea… something like… Netgear DG834GV

as you see here…Netgear have more then one router http://support.netgear.com/app/products/list/p3/161 do you see it here
do you have the user guide…or box it came in…should be a name on it

It says on the bottom of the router: “54 mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v7”.

You’ll find a lot of information about your router at:
http://support.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/2589

Just seeing the network as an available one is normal and nothing to worry about. It’s most likely someone in the neighborhood who just set up a home wireless network. I use a Belkin N150 and I can tell you they send a very strong signal, even mine which is the cheapest N model they have. You’d only have to worry if it was being used by a hacker to probe the neighborhood. As I’m sure you’ve seen , it takes hours for a hacker to break into a wireless network. Changing your security method was a very good course of action since WEP is outdated and the least secure of all the options. Just keep an eye on things and if nothing untoward happens in a week or two, relax and stop worrying.

But I wasn't able to find WPS under "Advanced > Wireless Settings"
Not so strange......your router does not have WPS....... so then you dont have to worry about that ;D

Wow my router doesn’t have WPS? Well that makes me feel a lot better. :smiley:
Now I can stop worrying about getting WPS hacked. Hah. ^^;
Thanks everyone for all your help and info! :smiley:
~ Misuzu

This is how WPS works…if you dont know

How to connect any WPS-enabled wireless device to a wireless modem, router or access point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0iAyh9rZQ