"Am I using someone else's bandwidth?" Topic

I'm on AOL, but have also been using Firefox as a browser. Went to check the speeds at Speedtest.net, and it shows Firefox as being on a different ISP and IP number. I was concerned that I was hijacking a neigbour via my modem/router. Checked house on left- they don't use that ISP, and I know neighbour right has a secure network, which denies Mrs Hussar's laptop, though I don't know their ISP.

However when I take the phone lead out of the modem/router (ie so still connected to computer, and broadcasting) neither firefox, or IE (which I also checked once I realised) will connect to the web- I get the modem's manufacture's "can't find host" message, making it appear that it IS relying on my phoneline.

Next door but one is 14m away (haven't asked), and then the next house 27m- there is no house 2 doors down the other way, (until you get on the main road 50m away). Across from me is a hospital 50m away.

I don't want to be using someone else's monthly allowance- any thoughts if I'm ok?

I presume your local network is wireless?

I presume your local network is wireless?

Or alien technology.

Sounds like you managed to boost someone's signal. No biggie. Just fix it. You should be connecting to a closed system anyway.

There is a cable from the computer to the modem/router.

OK, so you're not stealing someone's wireless bandwidth.

Besides the router/modem and your computer, is there anything else on your local network?

Speedtest may not be an accurate judge of IP number. I have AT&T Uverse and I'm located in California. When I run Speedtest, it says that the closest server is in Indianapolis.

Wyatt

Sorry- Wifi is something I'm not good at, so if any of this is wrong then bear with me.

Bill- I don't think so.

Comuputer has a cable – standard Cat5 or whatever from back to Modem/Router. I have got a second router that is occasionally connected (for some reason laptops can't detect the M/R very well- possibly because it seems to support a minority dongle/reciever/whatever it is called), though this is currently not switched on (power cable physically out). This is also joined by cable.

From the M/R main cable runs to the phone socket downstairs, where it joins by a standard filter.

My Wife's laptop is currently NOT working (youngest damaged the power in socket), but she uses firefox only while on it. That does not work unless the secong router is on- she can detect neighbour-left, but his net is pass word connected.

Though It is some years since I worked professionally in IT, I still know to check all possible problems one at a time, so I tried turning on router to see if anything changed. It didn't. I've run this test at various times- it always seems to be the same IP (though that is from memory) and always same ISP.

My biggest concern is that someone on a data cap – as many of the 'free laptop with monthly internet subscription' are- is going to be hit with hefty penalties (some of these companies impose silly penalties for going over the 3 gig limit), and not know why. This is why I'm imposing on you good people so much.

Wyatt- I'm lucky in that respect that in the UK the cities are a lot closer together, though at one point I tested a link to Paris (for the hell of it) and that was quicker that one to Birmingham, 70 miles away!

If you are not using wireless broadband your not picking up someone elses line. Try searching for an online speed test that's not a browsers own one. A fixed line is just that, be it over ADSL (phone line,EG BT) or cable (eg Virgin).
If you are using wireless, make sure you are setup so you are on a password protected home network (ie you need to put the key into each machine you set up that connects to your wireless router. Then on each machine make sure it's not connecting to the first network it sees, and is just set to pick up your home network.

PS – forgot to add, the fixed line is for both, but if you are using a wireless router you can see and use other networks – so check your various pc's. At work we have a classroom that was playing up connecting to the student wireless network, when I was using a laptop to check for connectivity I could find 3 other networks from the houses over 50m away, and 2 were not secure so I couldhave piggy-backed onto them.

The problem I have is I don't know how to search for networks on the PC- so I don't know how to ensure mozilla picks up mine. 'Network Connections' gives me IPs that are not the rogue one. I have a password, but its the pciking up of other people I am worried about.

Open your browser and go to:

checkip.dyndns.org

That will display the IP address that your connection is using to access the outside world. Match that up with your ISP. Or just copy the IP address and plug it into a "Reverse DNS Lookup" service like:

dnsstuff.com
remote.12dt.com/lookup.php

That will give you the DNS information associated with that IP, which should match your ISP or their parent/affiliate. You can try the nifty little tool that'll show you roughly where they think you're located as well.

As others have suggested, try another speed test or diagnostic on the outside of your router (on the Internet). If only that one is giving flaky results, avoid it!

- Bob