EAP? Is my service provider using my connection? - Ask Extension
Hello,We downloaded a program called wifi manager, my friend is better than me in computers and connectios. He told me that the EAP in the image attac...
Knowledgebase
EAP? Is my service provider using my connection? #352885
Asked August 13, 2016, 7:33 PM EDT
Hello,
We downloaded a program called wifi manager, my friend is better than me in computers and connectios. He told me that the EAP in the image attached was to WIFI booster but I told him that I never had a booster before. He went to the neighborhood and found that it was very strong nearby, his explanation was that my service provider is using my connection to distribute as a WIFI for other clients. He advised me to change the router to one that is not given by the service provider.
I have a fiber connection by the way, after he told me this I blocked the MAC address related to the EAP below, but it still have a conneciton to the same channel and frequency (9,2452).
Can someone please help to explain if this is true? My knowledge in these matters is extremely low :(
We downloaded a program called wifi manager, my friend is better than me in computers and connectios. He told me that the EAP in the image attached was to WIFI booster but I told him that I never had a booster before. He went to the neighborhood and found that it was very strong nearby, his explanation was that my service provider is using my connection to distribute as a WIFI for other clients. He advised me to change the router to one that is not given by the service provider.
I have a fiber connection by the way, after he told me this I blocked the MAC address related to the EAP below, but it still have a conneciton to the same channel and frequency (9,2452).
Can someone please help to explain if this is true? My knowledge in these matters is extremely low :(
County Outside United States
Expert Response
It's becoming more commonplace for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to create public Wi-Fi hotspots for their other customers who happen to be traveling in the area. They do this by providing extra bandwidth to their rented modems.
Other people using this hotspot should not affect your network speed since your traffic will have priority over theirs. Also, the public hotspot will be completely separated from your home network, so the security of your computers should be uncompromised.
If you still feel like you want to disable the public Wi-Fi, some ISPs allow you to opt-out. Every ISP is different, so I can't give you specific directions on how to do this.
Another option is to own your own modem instead of renting it. Your ISP should provide a list of compatible modems that you can then buy from a store. My rule-of-thumb is that if you plan on using the same ISP for more than 2 years, it makes financial sense to buy your own modem since the monthly rental fees can really add up.
Other people using this hotspot should not affect your network speed since your traffic will have priority over theirs. Also, the public hotspot will be completely separated from your home network, so the security of your computers should be uncompromised.
If you still feel like you want to disable the public Wi-Fi, some ISPs allow you to opt-out. Every ISP is different, so I can't give you specific directions on how to do this.
Another option is to own your own modem instead of renting it. Your ISP should provide a list of compatible modems that you can then buy from a store. My rule-of-thumb is that if you plan on using the same ISP for more than 2 years, it makes financial sense to buy your own modem since the monthly rental fees can really add up.
