Is there a possible intrusion into the home network?
Is there a possible intrusion into the home network?
If you are genuinely concerned, simply switch off the wifi radios when you aren’t using them. A nearby person needs to be close enough to capture a strong signal. Review the discussions on this forum where others share their experiences with poor coverage inside their homes. There’s a significant security risk with wifi that even a basic cell phone can exploit. Changing passwords afterward won’t help once the network is compromised. There’s an unnecessary function called WPS, often used by smart devices to connect to a wifi network. Because you can’t just enter a SSID and password for a smart lightbulb, they rely on this feature. Unfortunately, many routers leave it enabled by default, even though manufacturers know phones can crack it in under 30 seconds now. Adjust the wifi settings and turn off WPS if it’s active. If you notice a van parked outside with official plates nearby, it’s time to be cautious. In theory, strong wifi passwords could be broken within a week using powerful computing power.
i don't possess any wifi radios; the only wifi-enabled devices are my smartphone and computer. wps remains disabled and has been since before i started this discussion. i updated the password to a very complex one with over 20 random characters. in my area, government vehicles use standard license plates. previously, i used my modem's MAC address as the default wifi password, but i believe all modems—regardless of model—have unique mac addresses. can someone truly conceal their device from being detected by modem logs or network scanners?
I was referring to the Wi-Fi radio components within the router. Clearly, if you turn off Wi-Fi on the router, no one can access your network, yet you still have the option. Many companies disable Wi-Fi during non-working hours.
Avoiding network scanners makes it probable that your device remains hidden. It’s not difficult to ignore all traffic except the router or modem. You might even manage this using basic firewall rules in Windows.
It depends on the router logs. Usually, there’s a record of MAC addresses and the ports they connect to, even with simple switches. The main question is whether the device offers a way to show these details. Most users don’t understand what a MAC address is, so most routers don’t provide this feature.
The security approach in corporate settings often uses 802.1x. Almost every home router supports this feature, which is typically labeled as enterprise mode instead of shared keys. It also works on Ethernet ports but not on standard home routers unless you install third-party firmware.
When 802.1x is used with certificates, it becomes highly resistant to attacks. Each device needs a registered certificate to connect, making it nearly impossible to fake. Furthermore, every user has a unique username and password rather than relying on the Wi-Fi name and shared passwords. Most users simply connect using their Microsoft domain credentials, which means they only need to remember their main Windows login—everything else functions automatically.
This method also stops private devices from joining the network since they lack the necessary certificate even if they have a domain account. You could achieve this with a basic RADIUS server. Microsoft invests heavily in domain server licenses, but because very little traffic goes to such a server, people often use Raspberry Pi devices.
But no one will compromise your network. What they might try is stealing your personal data—possibly just your private files. At most, it would target neighborhood children whose parents have set up their routers to block internet access. These kids attempt to breach neighbors’ networks just to get online, not to attack other devices in the house.
My router is not that fancy, it can do logs, there is a security log, but there is never anything on it, there is also a system log that works and has settings which include:
Log level: emergency, alert, critical, error, warning, notice, informational, debugging.
Display level: all the same selectables as above ^^^
Mode: local, remote, both.
Your general user installs the router, connects it to the box, and does nothing further.
They ignore any options or displays on the router.
This is why modern routers now have unique default Wi-Fi names and passwords. Previously, they often used linksys/linksys.
The manufacturer would not invest in adding features for less than 1% of potential users.
I don't manage to connect to my modem since I misremembered the password.
As I see from the previous messages, you haven't restored the modem or router back to its original factory settings.
Why not?
I already tried, but the main reason I started this thread was to discover why my modem's lights are flashing as if data is being transferred, even though all my devices and appliances are offline. Sometimes I come home to see all the lights stay solid or blink a few times every 10 seconds, especially the internet and WLAN indicators. Now the internet light keeps blinking continuously.
It's difficult to determine precisely because the flash rate isn't well recorded. Make sure your devices are truly offline—are they powered down or disconnected? A browser that seems inactive often loads ads repeatedly. This could also be due to your router dropping spam traffic. Hackers frequently scan IP addresses for exploits, similar to the persistent spam messages about expired warranties. The NAT may block the traffic, but the physical port still receives it, which triggers the flashing light.
by offline means the device isn't running or its Wi-Fi is disabled.
Consider checking the router settings to disable the lights, so they don’t interfere. By default, the router blocks any unauthorized connections.