[Chickensoup]

OK I brought the new computer home today and was finishing the set up and when I went to connect it to the wifi I note that there is a wifi connection called "Hidden connection" and it is password protected. I am on lots of acreage in the woods, and the nearest house is probably 3-500 yards away.

I checked with everyone in our house, no one knows about hidden network. Any ideas? I have a fair-sized linksys wifi with four or six of those aerials sticking up in back.

What does this mean? is there someone on my wifi? If so how?

I would appreciate some information here. Never saw this before.

[tired&retired]

It’s from that implant they put in your head. You know, remember the morning you woke up with the bad headache!

[tophat9000]

Are you talking you seeing an SSID called “hidden connection”?

You can go on your wifi router to see it its on it

You can also have other Wireless devices advertising and SSID things like a wireless printers

You can download a wireless tool app on your phone and go sniffing around
to find the device by signing strength...

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Why hide them?

I have three signals ...

ICE SURVEILLANCE STATION 1
ICE SURVEILLANCE STATION 2

and for guests...

HILLARY FOR PRISON!

[dayglored]

Hi Chickensoup!

As a couple other FReepers have suggested, the most likely explanation is:

• There's a device -- a wireless access point, router, etc. -- that is acting as a wireless access point.
• It is within range of your new computer's wireless (probably 75 yards or less).
• Its wireless identifier ("SSID") is being "hidden" (not broadcast). This is not uncommon, BTW.
• You have to find out what the SSID is manually. This is tricky if you don't know what the device is or where it it. But hopefully you can figure that out and then look at the nameplate/tag, or in the manual for it, and it will tell you the SSID.

It could be an appliance (so-called "Internet-Of-Things" device). You said you don't have a smartphone, but it could be your TV, coffee maker, alarm clock.

No more kinky sex in the house until you find it.

Put some clothes on. Or not, depending... :-)

[SuperLuminal]

Take it back to vendor, ASAP... Remain calm... Stay in your underground shelter until the problem is fixed... {:-)

[RandallFlagg]

And you will be the reason we get Skynet.

Thanks for that!

;-)

[adorno]

Everybody here are lying. They don’t want you to know the truth about that ‘hidden network’.

That’s the ‘hidden network’ set up by the CIA and NSA to spy on all Americans. Why do you think it’s called “hidden”. They don’t want you to know the real identity of the network they use.

(That’s the factually honest truthfulness; no lie). ;)

[TChad]

If you unplug your Linysys router, does the hidden connection disappear?

Many modern routers support two frequency bands, a 2.4 band and a 5 GHz band. It is like having two routers in one. It is easy to set one of those up as a hidden connection, while the other has an SSID that shows up in your list of possible network connections. If you unplug the router, both signals will go down.

[Abby4116]

It's someone else's wifi connection. I show one now - some days I can see half a dozen other networks that their signals are showing (not very strong). I show my own 2 connections and the "hidden connection" right now - one of my distant neighbors I would think from the signal strength showing.

Make sure your own system is password protected and you will be ok.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

I run some old routers just to screw with neighbors. ShowerCam amongst others. I run them open. When you connect to any url it plays the Rick Roll video. They are not connected to my network or the internet. 5 routers and a spare pi. One of them is fitted with an old Yagi I have and points at the high school. It is called TestCheatSheets. That one sees a lot of connects when school starts. Kind of disappointed no one has hacked the pi yet because it has no net connection and so no security updates. It is easily hackable.

[cashless]

Just notices the same thing since my last Windows Update . Just Microsoft doing their part to spy on you and me. They didn't’t want Facebook and Twitter to get all the credit of using LifeLog exclusively.

[gunsequalfreedom]

You are picking up a neighbor’s signal.

[Zathras]

I call mine “NSA Secure”
Probably freaks out my neighbors.

[Company Man]

Go to the URL you posted in comment Number 15. Skip down in the answers until you find the one beginning "New routers from Verizon and Xfinity..."

Apparently Verizon and Xfinity are trying to extend their network range by having their routers also serve as wireless access points for other customers in your area. The only way to prevent this is to log into your Verizon or xfinity (Comcast) account and opting out.

[trebb]

Number of devices may be causing it...especially with the WiFi boosters out there to ensure good connectivity....pulled out of the garage a few days ago and told my phone to take me to a new restaurant we wanted to try....got about 250 yards away and the phone said the connection was lost...had 4 bars and decided that the home WiFi had been being used up to that point and had to wait a few seconds for the signal to diffuse enough that it didn’t interfere with using the towers...will try to remember to take a walk and see how far I stay connected to the home router.

[Openurmind]

I kid you not... It could be your smart meter if you have one. They update using a wireless network grid through all your neighbors to the end data reception point which then relays the data by cell signal to the main center.