Making network think router is a computer?

D

Defc0n 6

Gawd
Joined
Jun 8, 2003
Messages
642
Hi all,
I'm at Northwestern University, and they have an extremely annoying rule in that we are not allowed to set up wireless networks in our room. My friend down the hall tried once at the beginning of the year, and the university caught on and turned off his internet connection for a few days. Since then, I've noticed a few people have wireless networks. Is there a way to set up a wireless router for two/three people so that it would look like only one person is using the computer through a plugged in connection? I appreciate the help a ton.
-Ori
 
change the router name to "mydesktop"? having a network name of WRT54G tends to be a give-away.
 
Can't you go in the control panel of the router and hide the router so no one can see it?
 
Couldn't you just turn off the wireless? They said you couldn't have a wireless network but just because you have a router doesn't mean it's wireless. They probably caught the other guy by walking through the halls and scanning for networks.
 
It's not that someone from the university is standing outside my room and sees the network being broadcasted. I think they just see that two computers are connected through one ethernet port. They have control over each port. For example, when the people got caught earlier, they just turned off one of the ethernort ports in the room, not the one that wasn't hooked up to the router.
 
jbog91 said:
Couldn't you just turn off the wireless? They said you couldn't have a wireless network but just because you have a router doesn't mean it's wireless. They probably caught the other guy by walking through the halls and scanning for networks.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, however, the problem isn't that we don't have enough ports, its that we don't have wireless. So if I turned off wireless, I'd be at stage 1 :confused:
 
i'd imagine that you want to get the mac addy of your computer, and log into router and set your mac addy in that.

i wonder if you could disable the dhcp on the router, and hook it up like a switch/access point

either way probably easier to ask the university what they can do for you.
 
It's not that someone from the university is standing outside my room and sees the network being broadcasted. I think they just see that two computers are connected through one ethernet port. They have control over each port. For example, when the people got caught earlier, they just turned off one of the ethernort ports in the room, not the one that wasn't hooked up to the router.
Click to expand...

Then clone your mac id and have 2 access points 1 for you 1 for your roommate. That way, they see 1 computer per Ethernet port and you get your wireless. Cloning mac id is simple almost all routers have that option.
 
Clone the MAC address from your computer to the router. Should be able to do it in the router control panel. Also change the router name, and you should be good.


They probably caught the other guy cause manufactures use certain ranges of MAC addresses in the beginning characters, the school could scan for say default linksys MAC addresses and find the not allowed routers.

Some more info:
http://www.timeatlas.com/mos/Term_to_Learn/General/MAC_Addresses_and_Filtering/
 
i would say go nat, they will only see one device yet you can have as many as you want on the wireless.
 
Cloning the MAC address is only required if you have to register your computer with IT in order for it to obtain an IP address. Unless the school is really tiny, can't afford much, and has amateur staff....they will still find the router if it's on the network. Cloning the MAC will not hide it from the many tools that school IT uses, neither will changing the routers name. Nor will trying to hide your SSID or anything like that..they will still easily find it.
 
Not to be that guy, but another solution is

NOT CIRCUMVENTING THE SECURITY of the network. Im pretty sure it violates TOC on this forum, and is just kind of wrong. He can google this very much easier, MAC address, NAT, all very googleable.

The university has this in place for a reason, and we should respect THEIR decision on THEIR network. Don't like it? Run your own ISP to the dorm

Malk-a-mite said:
I know I haven't posted in a while but unless things have changed a lot this is your answer:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1026346800#post1026346800
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Sorry Malk-a-mite, didn't see your post.
 
Defc0n 6 said:
Hi all,
I'm at Northwestern University, and they have an extremely annoying rule in that we are not allowed to set up wireless networks in our room. My friend down the hall tried once at the beginning of the year, and the university caught on and turned off his internet connection for a few days. Since then, I've noticed a few people have wireless networks. Is there a way to set up a wireless router for two/three people so that it would look like only one person is using the computer through a plugged in connection? I appreciate the help a ton.
-Ori
Click to expand...

that is dumb. What if your classmates bring their lappies over to your room to do projects and there's only 1 computer with internet access? The whole lot of them's gonna crowd round your 1 computer?

The others have posted how to overcome this, but you might want to suggest to the school that they set up a wireless AP for every hall. It's not that hard to setup proper security for that.
 
Having worked IT for a college, if you're not supposed to have it, don't try to beat the system. In some way, you'll always get caught... also, don't think it is past college help desks or lan teams to sniff for your wireless networks. Just get a switch and cable up anyone you need to.

The reason you're not supposed to have it is that it is a very easy means of taking advantage of your much less technically-inclined neighbors. Also, you really shouldn't just allow users to start plugging ROUTERS in everywhere across your network.

...and again, from experience, the guys that will shut your connection down have every right to do so and always happen to know just when you really need the internet for a big project or studying once they find out who you are...
 
sully127 said:
Having worked IT for a college, if you're not supposed to have it, don't try to beat the system. In some way, you'll always get caught... also, don't think it is past college help desks or lan teams to sniff for your wireless networks. Just get a switch and cable up anyone you need to.

The reason you're not supposed to have it is that it is a very easy means of taking advantage of your much less technically-inclined neighbors. Also, you really shouldn't just allow users to start plugging ROUTERS in everywhere across your network.

...and again, from experience, the guys that will shut your connection down have every right to do so and always happen to know just when you really need the internet for a big project or studying once they find out who you are...
Click to expand...

I agree.

However you can still test their method of discovery. Setup the router, turn on wifi, and don't connect it to squat. See if they find it. If they do, they are roaming for them (the best method of detection). If not, well now you know. No excuse to hook it up, but finding out how the system works could be intriguing.
 
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