New router security issue

[#1]

Hi,
I just got my new Thompson router from plusnet to replace my belkin.
All set up fine and working, yesterday I put in the details to my daughters ipod touch to connect wirelessly,inputting the wireless key etc and that worked fine.
Today I came in and found my daughter on the internet via her laptop [Windows 7] however she did not put in any wireless key as she doesn't know it, she says she just saw PlustnetWireless on her laptop clicked on it, it said something about other people being able to see 'something or another' and she was connected?
I had a look through the router settings and saw 'new stations allowed[automatically) and thought that might be the problem,however on changing to ''via registration' I couldn't get her connected, despite deleting it from her laptop and creating a new connection,and searching for wireless connections via the router.Putting it back to automatic she can connect fine.
I guess what I really need to know is how could she have connected and is it safe to leave it on 'new stations allowed(automatically)?

[#2]

Hi,
The Thompson router supports WPS, as does Windows 7. When you initially connect it will either ask for the encryption key OR ask you to press the WPS button on the router ( see here for info http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1377836&seqNum=2 ) which will automatically send the encryption key.
Any chance she might have connected this way using the WPS button ?

[#3]

read the underside, in particular the S/N
notice anything
PN joke i suppose...
Toby
see theregister passim

[#4]

Quote from: MisterW

Hi, The Thompson router supports WPS, as does Windows 7. When you initially connect it will either ask for the encryption key OR ask you to press the WPS button on the router ( see here for info http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1377836&seqNum=2 ) which will automatically send the encryption key. Any chance she might have connected this way using the WPS button ?

Thanks for that, she never mentioned anything about that, but I'll ask her when she comes in.

[#5]

Quote from: newthing

read the underside, in particular the S/N notice anything PN joke i suppose... Toby see theregister passim

Probably me being a bit thick but you will have to point it out to me....

[#6]

Well, she says she never pushed any button on the router, just connected using her laptop...

[#7]

Assuming you've not changed the encryption on the TG585  from the default WPA-PSK or changed the key from the one printed on the base of the router, then I really dont see how she connected to it without either using the WPS button or manually entering the key.
As you said, you had to enter the key to connect the Ipod touch...

[#8]

Quote from: RobJM

Well, she says she never pushed any button on the router, just connected using her laptop...

Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that she is connected to YOUR Router and not a neighbour's unsecured WiFi?
My Brother-in-Law emigrated to Canada and bought a Dell Laptop. He signed up for service from Telus and was sent a Modem which he duly plugged into the Telephone line (but nothing else) and then booted the Laptop. It connected wirelessly and he used it for six months before his neighbour moved out and he called Telus to complain that his Broadband connection had died. Telus sent out a man who established that the Modem hadn't even been powered up!

[#9]

She is adamant she did not touch the router, she says on her laptop she got the different wireless networks showing,including neighbours, but as mine is conveniently still named PlusnetWireless, she clicked on that [btw no other Plusnet networks show for neighbours],then she says she got a option 'to make it a home network', or such like,then a warning about 'other people being able to see her info'.
The settings are still default,under security it says 'New stations are allowed (automatically), is that OK?
I've a feeling it should be set to (registered) but I couldn't get her connected with that setting,(but I didn't know about the button on the front of the router then).
Even my phone asks for the key, maybe I'll remove the settings from her laptop and see if I can replicate it.
It's just it caught me by surprise and I thought maybe the router security defaults are not ideal and I missed any postings on this.

[#10]

Quote

The settings are still default,under security it says 'New stations are allowed (automatically), is that OK?

Yes, I'm pretty sure thats ok, its what's called MAC filtering. If you set it to 'dont allow new stations' then unless it knows about the MAC address of the connecting computer it won't allow it to connect.

Quote

Even my phone asks for the key, maybe I'll remove the settings from her laptop and see if I can replicate it

Yes, I would try that just to check...