Unknown device connected to my secured network.

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 02:13

MY internet has been acting a bit odd lately. (Sudden slow downs, high pings in games etc) So i decided to turnoff all wi-fi hardware (laptops etc) and see if there was any one else on my network. When i logged into my router i found two devices connected to my router. The first was my pc and the second was an 'unknown' device. I changed the network key and it was still there. I decided to go and double check to make sure all devices (including my itouch) were off. When i came back and refreshed it was still connected but then all of a sudden it just went. Im still getting high pings -_- and slow net but im a bit worried about that unknown device. As long as i have changed my network key i should be okay shouldnt I or should i be worried. I dont fancy some copper coming around syaing ive been downloading child porn etc -_- (happended a few years ago in a local town. Since then ive been a bit paranoid lol) The only thing thats changed is my motherboard i dont know if the ethernet port would have given me an extra 200 ping or something? ><

Im a bit of a n00b when it comes to networking lol So if the above is a stupid question sorry

Info:
Im with sky unlimited broadband, using a router that came with the package. The encriyption is wpa-psk TKIP.

EDIT: just ran a ping test. this is what it came back

Just installed a java app lol (my bad) and got this.

then this

then

Is that normal?
I also got a B grade. but forgot to copy that.

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 09:41

Stronger encryption would help. TKIP isn't that strong. I'd recommend WPA2 wiwth AES encryption. That should keep most casual net theives out.

As for the connection, check it from another machine. It's possible it's something on your PC. Router stats would be useful to see where the packet loss is occuring.
Sometimes something as simple as a duplex mismatch on the NIC can cause these symptoms.

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 11:08

Skidilliplop said:
Stronger encryption would help. TKIP isn't that strong. I'd recommend WPA2 wiwth AES encryption. That should keep most casual net theives out.

As for the connection, check it from another machine. It's possible it's something on your PC. Router stats would be useful to see where the packet loss is occuring.
Sometimes something as simple as a duplex mismatch on the NIC can cause these symptoms.

JUst ran a check this morning and got

lol mad. Im going to get the router out later and have a check (its in a hard to reach place) wat sort of stats do you need? Model number etc?

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 11:21

I was after the ADSL modem stats to see what the error counters were like. Usually if there's a line issue causing packet loss you will get frame errors on the interface. If the interface is clean then the issue is either with your ISP backhaul or your LAN.
These should be viewable via the web interface, no need to dig it out.

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 11:44

Skidilliplop said:
I was after the ADSL modem stats to see what the error counters were like. Usually if there's a line issue causing packet loss you will get frame errors on the interface. If the interface is clean then the issue is either with your ISP backhaul or your LAN.
These should be viewable via the web interface, no need to dig it out.

I dont want to sound like a noob lol but im not sure what you mean.

Ive just logged onto my router and cant see any places where ud see 'frame errors' I have found a router ping test but i need an I.P address before i can run the ping test.

Ive just pinged google and got this

PING 173.194.37.104 (173.194.37.104): 56 data bytes
56 bytes from 173.194.37.104: icmp_seq=0 ttl=58 time=55.0 ms
56 bytes from 173.194.37.104: icmp_seq=1 ttl=58 time=30.0 ms
56 bytes from 173.194.37.104: icmp_seq=2 ttl=58 time=30.0 ms
56 bytes from 173.194.37.104: icmp_seq=3 ttl=58 time=30.0 ms

--- 173.194.37.104 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 30.0/36.2/55.0 ms

is that what u meant? Like i say im a noob when it comes to network lol

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 11:49

There should be a page on your router that looks like this. http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/images/linestats_info1.png

what you're looking for is big numbers next to the error counters. The connection seems fine now, but if there had previously been an issue there will be high numbers on the error counters.

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 12:06

Skidilliplop said:
There should be a page on your router that looks like this. http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/images/linestats_info1.png

what you're looking for is big numbers next to the error counters. The connection seems fine now, but if there had previously been an issue there will be high numbers on the error counters.

thanks for your help

i think my router is just a cheap and cheerful one though. The only thing i can find that remotely looks like the one u posted above is this

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
ive looked through every window, every tab etc and nothing comes close to what u posted

i guess ill either have to get a better router or live with it

lol

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 12:50

That's a bummer. Well the stats it shows look fine lol. Just keep an eye on it and check that page again if it acts up. Usually packet loss on the line is acompanied by variations in the other line stats as well. It's just not as clear to see as 10,000 CRC errors per hour

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 13:21

K

tyvm

i think its a combination of sky and WoW being weird togeather lol

i normally get 85-110Ping in wow but lately im getting 180-300. tyvm for your help matey

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 14:19

In game ping isn't a true indicator of connection latency anyway. 'Proper' Ping is round trip time from TCP/IP stack back to TCP/IP Stack, layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model. In game latency is usually calculated and reported by the game itself which is the application layer, layer 7. So it's actually going from application down 7 layers, back up and down the ladder at the remote end then back up your end. So it's being subjected to quite a lot more processing and coupled with the fact the game prioritises latency probes low down below the game mechanics it will always report quite a bit higher than actual network latency. Infacy more often than not high in game pings are down to server CPU usage being high rather than network congestion. Rendering it kinda pointless really.....

adamknox · 5 Jan 2011 at 15:01

Skidilliplop said:
In game ping isn't a true indicator of connection latency anyway. 'Proper' Ping is round trip time from TCP/IP stack back to TCP/IP Stack, layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model. In game latency is usually calculated and reported by the game itself which is the application layer, layer 7. So it's actually going from application down 7 layers, back up and down the ladder at the remote end then back up your end. So it's being subjected to quite a lot more processing and coupled with the fact the game prioritises latency probes low down below the game mechanics it will always report quite a bit higher than actual network latency. Infacy more often than not high in game pings are down to server CPU usage being high rather than network congestion. Rendering it kinda pointless really.....

Ah i see, thats why my ping gets as low as 43 On the ping testing wesbite while on MMO's and fps games my ping is double or some times triple that

Ive heard NIC cards can help lower ping and lat. Altho most people i have talked to on here about them say they are a waste of money. Seeing some of the reviews for them too kind of point to them being a waste. I guess ill have to just like it and lump it lol.

Skidilliplop · 5 Jan 2011 at 15:30

Well yeah as i've just said, real world network latency rarely reflects in your in-game ping. You might shave a couple of milliseconds off a 30ms round trip, but the game itself will generate so much more latency (in your case about 50x greater than you'd save) it'll make those few milliseconds completely insignificant.