Traffic evident whilst network disconnected

[jmarsh1000]

On the first boot-up today, the wifi icon in the System Tray came
alive, but the Network Connection indicated no connection. In the
Network Connections window, Internet Gateway had appeared. Peeking
inside this (I forget which tab/window/option) showed send & receive
traffic. I unplugged the wifi dongle and Internet Gateway disappeared.
It has not reappeared following the dongle reconnection and successful
reboot & Internet connection activation. Connection is via modem
router.

Shoul I worry? AdAware & HijackThis didn't find any threat. I have
Grisoft-Ewido anti-spyware and AVG Free anti-virus running.

John Marsh.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

On the first boot-up today, the wifi icon in the System Tray came
alive, but the Network Connection indicated no connection. In the
Network Connections window, Internet Gateway had appeared. Peeking
inside this (I forget which tab/window/option) showed send & receive
traffic. I unplugged the wifi dongle and Internet Gateway disappeared.
It has not reappeared following the dongle reconnection and successful
reboot & Internet connection activation. Connection is via modem
router.

Shoul I worry? AdAware & HijackThis didn't find any threat. I have
Grisoft-Ewido anti-spyware and AVG Free anti-virus running.

John Marsh.

The Internet Gateway is the device (broadband router or computer
acting as ICS host) that gives network access to your computer. It
will show packets sent and received under "Internet Gateway" when any
computer on the network is using the Internet. It will show packets
sent and received under "My Computer" when it communicates with your
computer, either for Internet access or to update the packet counts.

Since the Internet Gateway icon appeared, there had to have been an
active network connection on your computer. One possibility is that
your computer had connected to a neighbor's wireless network and was
showing statistics for your neighbor's wireless router.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[jmarsh1000]

Thanks Steve. Oh crikey! I have changed none of the settings for
accessing our router, i.e. I wasn't trying to hack another network.
(There is one nearby). If the other network is vulnerable like this,
what can I advise its owners to do to secure it? They use WEP; I don't
know what router they have or which PC OS.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Thanks Steve. Oh crikey! I have changed none of the settings for
accessing our router, i.e. I wasn't trying to hack another network.
(There is one nearby). If the other network is vulnerable like this,
what can I advise its owners to do to secure it? They use WEP; I don't
know what router they have or which PC OS.

You're welcome, John. If your neighbor's wireless network uses WEP, I
don't think that your computer connected to it -- you would have to
type in your neighbor's WEP key to do that.

Any unsecured wireless networks in the neighborhood?
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[jmarsh1000]

The neighbouring WEP network is the only other one found by the
wireless adaptor & software.

Perhaps the PC was exchanging pleasantries with a wireless doorbell!


John Marsh.