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Forum Discussion
MASSIVE SECURITY PROBLEM - Genie Logs Into Neighbor's Router
When I am connected to my network via WiFi and either open up the Genie application, or go to routerlogin.net on a browser, I see a neighbor's R4500, rather than my R8000. When I connect to my R8000...
Yes, that is the problem. I connect to his router, rather than mine, even though I am on my wireless network. His signal is way weaker than mine, and regardless of that routerlogin.net (and the Genie application) should resolve to my router when I am on my SSID.
He has a password set, but for some reason I am able to get on his router as admin.
Clearly, there is a significant problem with the way routerlogin.net / Genie work.
lennyr wrote:Yes, that is the problem. I connect to his router, rather than mine, even though I am on my wireless network. His signal is way weaker than mine, and regardless of that routerlogin.net (and the Genie application) should resolve to my router when I am on my SSID.
He has a password set, but for some reason I am able to get on his router as admin.
Clearly, there is a significant problem with the way routerlogin.net / Genie work.
You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period.
You are CONNECTED to 2 different networks from your description. Your own from a hard wired PC and HIS via wireless. Genie is working as it should, opening a browser on your PC and going to 192.168.1.1 (assuming that is your router IP address and it is the same as his) or using routerlogin.net will put you on YOUR router. Doing the same on a wireless device will put you on HIS router as that is what you are connected too.
If he is using the DEFAULT UID and PW (admin and password) then that is why you can get onto his router on wireless. If he has NO Security set then you can connect to his router via wireless. If he HAS security set then you need the passphrase to get on. If it happens to be the same as yours then it is possible the wireless devices can get on, but you must have the same SSID's as well.
Have you tried Acrylic?
Did you run from a Command prompt IPCONFIG /ALL and compare results between the PC hard wired and a wireless device?
Another question, HOW do you know you are on his router using Genie?
"You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period"
I know you're trying to help, but this is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE, and saying otherwise, no matter how emphatically, does not make it so. I am on my network SSID, but Genie puts me into his router, as Admin.
No, going to 192.168.1.1 has the same result as using the Genie application or routerlogin.net. They all put me on his router.
Yes, I tried Acrylic (thanks for the tip). It shows the same thing as other wifi scanners I used. My SSIDs show as much stronger than his.
As to how I know I'm on his router rather than mine, it is because mine is an R8000 and his shows as an R45000, because we have different SSIDs for our networks, and differnet passowrds (which I can all see, since I'm Admin).
lennyr wrote:"You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period"
I know you're trying to help, but this is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE, and saying otherwise, no matter how emphatically, does not make it so. I am on my network SSID, but Genie puts me into his router, as Admin.
IrvSp's explanation is plausible. There is no way you can log into your neighbor's router unless you are actually connected to his Wi-Fi network. The only other way for traffic to reach his router is through your Internet connection, but that's not possible because 192.168.1.1 is a private IP address. It's not routable through the Internet.
Can you post a screenshot of one of your devices showing the SSID that it is connected to? And a screenshot of the SSID broadcast by your router?
It's really a good idea to change the SSID name to something more personal. The default names (i.e. NETGEARXX) can lead to this sort of confusion when neighbors also possess Netgear routers.
At the very least, make your device forget the Wi-Fi network it is joined to and re-join the network.
You could also try asking your neighbor if he sees you connected to his network.
TheEther wrote:
lennyr wrote:"You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period"
I know you're trying to help, but this is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE, and saying otherwise, no matter how emphatically, does not make it so. I am on my network SSID, but Genie puts me into his router, as Admin.
IrvSp's explanation is plausible. There is no way you can log into your neighbor's router unless you are actually connected to his Wi-Fi network. The only other way for traffic to reach his router is through your Internet connection, but that's not possible because 192.168.1.1 is a private IP address, http://www.192168-0-1.com It's not routable through the Internet.
Can you post a screenshot of one of your devices showing the SSID that it is connected to? And a screenshot of the SSID broadcast by your router?
It's really a good idea to change the SSID name to something more personal. The default names (i.e. NETGEARXX) can lead to this sort of confusion when neighbors also possess Netgear routers.
At the very least, make your device forget the Wi-Fi network it is joined to and re-join the network.
You could also try asking your neighbor if he sees you connected to his network.
Totally agree with this.
lennyr wrote:As to how I know I'm on his router rather than mine, it is because mine is an R8000 and his shows as an R45000, because we have different SSIDs for our networks, and differnet passowrds (which I can all see, since I'm Admin).
Lenny, I don't think ANYONE is disputing your wireless devices are on HIS network. We get that. What the root cause is your devices CONNECTED to his network. When a device connects to a network (wireless) somethings have to happen.
- It must see SSID's (UNLESS none is broadcast but you know the SSID and tell the device to connect to that one).
- It has to be selected to connect (and usually there is a check box to 'always connect to this SSID) to that SSID.
- Depending on Security level of the SSID a PASSPHRASE might be required. Once provided the device will connect.
Some devices will retain the SSID and PASSPHRASE and connect to that SPECIFIC SSID if it sees that SSID using the stored values. Some will even do it if the SSID signal is stronger that the SSID signal it is on.
All I can guess is that at one time you did use your neighbor's network, maybe when you were at his house, I don't know, but you are on it.
The fact that you can use Genie to view his router doesn't mean much. Probably MOST people do NOT change the UID or P/W required to logon to thier router. The DEFAULT is ADMIN and PASSWORD and I'm sure you used that. That is NOT the same as the SSID and PASSPHRASE needed to CONNECT a device to the router (unless he set it to that).
A couple of screen captures might help here.
- When on of your wireless devices is using Genie and shots of the first screen, Wireless settings, and the LOG if enabled. You can blank out the PASSPHRASE so as not to disclose that.
- Same as above when on your Router connected to via a wire from your PC.
- IPCONFIG /ALL from the wired PC.
- Assuming you can capture a screen on a wireless device (iPhone/iPad's are easy) get screenshots of the NETWORK connection data.
Alternatively you can just get a screenshot of the ADVANCED tab blacking out some data, that looks like this (I assume all NG routers look similar, I'm on an R7000 for instance):
With screenshots of the two networks you appear to be on we should be able to see possibly what is going on.
Although I've blacked out my INTERNET IP ADDRESS, you can leave the LAST octet as they MUST be different if you are on two different networks.
Bottom line, no one I don't think thinks you are NOT connected to your neighbor's network with your wireless devices. However YOU had to do that, not Genie, but MANUALLY selecting that SSID and providing the PROPER PASSPHRASE. Once that has been done, devices USUALLY re-connect to the LAST connection they had. Easy FIX, DISCONNECT and then CONNECT to the proper one. Also FORGET your neighbor's network after you do that and you'll be fine and not connect to it again unless YOU manually choose to do that.
Here is a screenshot showing me loggedin as admin on his network (SSID Netgear76) while connected to my own network (Jet Car 5b)
