Wireless-Free 4g network?

[Gerr]

Some local hacker has targeted a retired friend of mine and the main way they break in is to reactivate any and all wireless devices.  They also tried to splice into his Cable Internet, so he went with a cellular based Internet as he doesn't use much bandwidth.  However, his cellular device is a hotspot and with it's build in wifi, the hackers still get in.  It doesn't matter if he shuts the wifi off, they reactivate is remotely on all devices some how.  

 

What I want to do is somehow use his 4G sim card from his hotspot and find a wireless-free router/firewall that can use his SIM card for Internet connectivity to his devices through a wired-only connection.  I have already removed his wifi card from both is desktop & laptop and he already has a network cable running to each.

 

Any suggestions?

[YedZed]

What in the fuck is this guy doing that gets this many hackers wet for him? Damn.

Sorry, I have no advice. Maybe, hide in a hole? 

[Electronics Wizardy]

Many laptops can have sim careds and 4g. You can also get usb adadpters, then make that system into a router.

 

Call the police and fcc if you know hes doing this, this can be a lot of jail time if you can prove it.

[LienusLateTips]

Those router mini thingys they have.

[Tsuki]

dont publicly display the ssid.  so unless you know the name of it, you dont see it.

[bcguru9384]

how about go into the router and set a MAC allowed list with only his device 

or

get router setup to work then open its firewall solution and block in/out for ports 22 and 23

about only way back in is a device reset

now as for his pc go turn off remote desktop service but do this in the device manager screen under the acpi section

[bcguru9384]

remote desktop device redirector bus

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

I have a 4G modem from a service my ISP provides. It has ethernet ports so they do exist. You will have to ask your telecoms what they provide or what is compatible with their service. My ISP locks me into using their modem at my home address.

[Hiitchy]

Change the SSID, hide it. Change the password, create a whitelist with only his MAC address (similarly named Access Control / other names) and any other devices that use the network. Ensure the router firewall is on (SPI Firewall or similar) Turn on DOS protection and set all to low, forbid LAN / WAN ping. Turn off SNMP, Turn on AP Isolation. This will stop your device from communicating with other devices if they are connected to your network. Turn off WPS if there is a such function on the modem.

 

These are literally things I've done to secure my wireless connection because there are unnecessary things that are running that I really don't require. There's also a lot of Application Layer Gateway things I've disabled but I highly doubt you have access to disabling those things.

 

I would just go with the basics though, so if you can create a whitelist and only allow his connection, he should be good to go. If they somehow get in after all of that.... I'd suggest getting an aftermarket router that can allow much better security than a modem. Possibly not going to work unless the 4G modem has an ethernet port, which I'd hope it does.

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, Gerr said:

Some local hacker has targeted a retired friend of mine and the main way they break in is to reactivate any and all wireless devices.  They also tried to splice into his Cable Internet, so he went with a cellular based Internet as he doesn't use much bandwidth.  However, his cellular device is a hotspot and with it's build in wifi, the hackers still get in.  It doesn't matter if he shuts the wifi off, they reactivate is remotely on all devices some how.  

 

What I want to do is somehow use his 4G sim card from his hotspot and find a wireless-free router/firewall that can use his SIM card for Internet connectivity to his devices through a wired-only connection.  I have already removed his wifi card from both is desktop & laptop and he already has a network cable running to each.

 

Any suggestions?

What do you mean when you say Splice in to his cable internet? Because if the hacker was trying to access the ISP's network with out paying, then the ISP would have grounds to sue them in to poverty. 

 

Id say you need to check that your friend has his shit locked down. Like others have said, put a strong password both on the router and on the wireless. Change the SSID and even stop it from broadcasting. Use MAC address filtering. Unplug the router when its not in use. Check to make sure his computer is virus free as well as is up to date with OS updates, AV updates and has a firewall. Check the machine for sketchy software that could have a back door of some kind. 

 

Above all else, if you have proof of hacking then I would get in touch with the local/state or Federal Authorities (FBI) as hacking in to Computers is illegal and is a prison-able offense. The Federal Government has the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 on their side, and your state could also have laws on the books, I know Michigan does. 

[Gerr]

He doesn't have a wifi router currently.  Instead he just plugged his 4g hotspot in via usb and gets Internet that way.  However, they enable the wifi on his various devices remotely, then turn them into hotspots and enable the other devices...nasty.  I just want to set him up for a complete wifi-free 4g network, but finding the right hardware that doesn't cost a fortune is not easy.

[bcguru9384]

1 hour ago, Gerr said:

They also tried to splice into his Cable Internet

this is a criminal action which should actually enable your state police to investigate and make an arrest

the authorities simply log there own device into network then when hacker "reactivates" they have now just hacked a police device and thats definitely a no no

 

[AshleyAshes]

9 hours ago, Donut417 said:

What do you mean when you say Splice in to his cable internet? Because if the hacker was trying to access the ISP's network with out paying, then the ISP would have grounds to sue them in to poverty. 

Not to mention that this would a physical link which you could just follow back to whoever is stealing it.  Seems like you could just have the person arrested.

[The Benjamins]

10 hours ago, Gerr said:

He doesn't have a wifi router currently.  Instead he just plugged his 4g hotspot in via usb and gets Internet that way.  However, they enable the wifi on his various devices remotely, then turn them into hotspots and enable the other devices...nasty.  I just want to set him up for a complete wifi-free 4g network, but finding the right hardware that doesn't cost a fortune is not easy.

sounds like his PC has a RAT on it, or something. sounds like you should find all the devices that are compromised and clean them first.

 

don't try and solve this problem with a bandaid.

[Gerr]

Already reloaded PC with Linux, they got in as soon as he installed WINE.

 

Yes, it's illegal what's being done to him, but the Police/FBI are not going to put resources on a small time case like this.  He doesn't have the money to buy the equipment to catch them either, so he's SOL outside of my help.

 

So...anyone actually going to address my question and recommend something that would allow him to use his T-Mobile SIM card to access the Internet with ZERO wifi?  The ZTE 4G Hotspot he has comes with built-in Wifi and I think they got into that already.

[Gerr]

Just found this, but it's a bit on the pricey side...

 

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-LTE-Modem-Broadband-Connection/dp/B01N5ASNTE

 

3/4G modem/router with NO built in Wifi.  I could have him put his T-Mobile SIM card into it, then plus this unit into a wired FW and he should be well protected.

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, Gerr said:

Just found this, but it's a bit on the pricey side...

 

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-LTE-Modem-Broadband-Connection/dp/B01N5ASNTE

 

3/4G modem/router with NO built in Wifi.  I could have him put his T-Mobile SIM card into it, then plus this unit into a wired FW and he should be well protected.

The issue is, you dont know how he has been compromised. I mean, how the fuck are they getting in to his network? Thru WiFi? Thru the WAN connection? There is something deeper going on. They have to know important details about him to hack in. Routers are designed to make this hard to do. On top of the firewalls built in to Windows and Linux. 

 

You need to look deeper at what software he has installed. I have a feeling its an old shitty piece of software that needs to be patched badly. While reporting it to the FBI might not solve the issue, the Government needs to know about these little fucks. Put them on the FBI radar. Because with all these big hacks going on, I have a feeling the Government would like to deal with them quick, fast, and in a hurry. 

[The Benjamins]

9 hours ago, Gerr said:

Already reloaded PC with Linux, they got in as soon as he installed WINE.

 

Yes, it's illegal what's being done to him, but the Police/FBI are not going to put resources on a small time case like this.  He doesn't have the money to buy the equipment to catch them either, so he's SOL outside of my help.

 

So...anyone actually going to address my question and recommend something that would allow him to use his T-Mobile SIM card to access the Internet with ZERO wifi?  The ZTE 4G Hotspot he has comes with built-in Wifi and I think they got into that already.

How would that help if you said this?

On 6/27/2017 at 11:34 PM, Gerr said:

He doesn't have a wifi router currently.  Instead he just plugged his 4g hotspot in via usb and gets Internet that way.  However, they enable the wifi on his various devices remotely, then turn them into hotspots and enable the other devices...nasty.  I just want to set him up for a complete wifi-free 4g network, but finding the right hardware that doesn't cost a fortune is not easy.

they turn on the WiFI of the device and turn it into a hotspot?

 

it really sounds like the devices are compromised and that should be fixed first.

 

You should make a complaint to the FBI

https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

 

also can't you record a video of them splicing into the cable line and give it to the police and cable company?

[Gerr]

Remember, retired, living on a fixed budget.  He can't afford cameras.  He has made multiple complaints to the FBI, but was told they get over 10K of those a day, so he is on a LONG waiting list.

 

It doesn't matter if the Wifi is turned off, they have a way to turn on any Wifi remotely.  It has to be disabled via hardware or totally removed.

 

My goal is to get his home wifi free, ie ZERO wifi devices.  I removed the Wifi cards from both his desktop & laptop.  He will be trading his iPhone in for an older Wifi free one as they have gotten into that multiple times.  The last thing is to get his Cellular Internet Wifi free.

[AshleyAshes]

1 minute ago, Gerr said:

It doesn't matter if the Wifi is turned off, they have a way to turn on any Wifi remotely.

If these individuals have a means to enable wifi while the wifi is on, that means they have access by some means OTHER than the wifi.  Trying to find a way to remove wifi from the equation doesn't solve the problem.

 

This very much sounds like a drive to solve symptoms but not causes.

[Gerr]

The only devices he has is an older iPhone, a Chromebook, and a regular PC running Linux.  When he wants Internet on either the Chromebook or PC, he plugs his 4G hotspot in via USB as he has the Wifi turned off.  How would you think they get in?

[The Benjamins]

17 minutes ago, Gerr said:

Remember, retired, living on a fixed budget.  He can't afford cameras.  He has made multiple complaints to the FBI, but was told they get over 10K of those a day, so he is on a LONG waiting list.

 

It doesn't matter if the Wifi is turned off, they have a way to turn on any Wifi remotely.  It has to be disabled via hardware or totally removed.

 

My goal is to get his home wifi free, ie ZERO wifi devices.  I removed the Wifi cards from both his desktop & laptop.  He will be trading his iPhone in for an older Wifi free one as they have gotten into that multiple times.  The last thing is to get his Cellular Internet Wifi free.

what devices are the WiFi being turned on? if they are piggy backing over WiFi for something they would have to be very close to the house. If he had cable and the hacker Physically spliced into it, complain the the cable company. They should not be happy about someone doing that or steeling internet.

 

the best thing for you is a USB 4G card and using that. he can share the connection to other devices over Ethernet if needed.

[The Benjamins]

Hey just thought of something, couldn't he use cable internet again and use a wired router with a VPN attached to it. 

Wouldn't that block the attacks assuming their is no compromised device on the network?

[Gerr]

He did complain to the cable company, and they came and dug his cable up and put it into a deeper conduit, but that didn't stop the bad guys.  The cable company said he had to catch them in action, and he just has not been able to do so.  However, he did nail them good.  He buried a fake cable above the real one and put a higher amount of reversed polarity juice on it.  He heard through the grapeview that he fried a 2K laptop of theirs, but that ended up causing the attacks to just increase.

 

At one point, he was using the cable Internet and I had him on a wired FW instead of a broadband router, and they somehow got in, probably through Wifi.

 

Yes, a 4G usb stick that doesn't have wifi would work, but I would really like to have him go through that FW as I don't think they got in through that, but it's not compatible with USB.

[AshleyAshes]

9 minutes ago, Gerr said:

He did complain to the cable company, and they came and dug his cable up and put it into a deeper conduit, but that didn't stop the bad guys.  The cable company said he had to catch them in action, and he just has not been able to do so.  However, he did nail them good.  He buried a fake cable above the real one and put a higher amount of reversed polarity juice on it.  He heard through the grapeview that he fried a 2K laptop of theirs, but that ended up causing the attacks to just increase.

 

At one point, he was using the cable Internet and I had him on a wired FW instead of a broadband router, and they somehow got in, probably through Wifi.

 

Yes, a 4G usb stick that doesn't have wifi would work, but I would really like to have him go through that FW as I don't think they got in through that, but it's not compatible with USB.

...I've noticed that every time someone here suggests you're ignoring the root cause and the real issue at hand, you just come up with a bizarre set of scenarios to further explain how these 'hackers', who are apparently exceptionally local, are unstoppable, and only your stupid idea will work.

I gotta be honest here, at this point, I think that you might be full of shit.

Quote

He buried a fake cable above the real one and put a higher amount of reversed polarity juice on it.  He heard through the grapeview that he fried a 2K laptop of theirs, but that ended up causing the attacks to just increase.

Like this?  This is bullshit.  The cable company isn't going through all the effort to lay a cartoonish trap, then once the trap is set only have it 'heard through the grapevine' that a $2000 laptop was destroyed.  Since this is clearly a physical intrusion on the Cable company's infrastructure where a wire is somehow being lead between the site of the intrusion and the supposed '2K laptop', they'd just call the police and follow the god damn wire to the perpetrators house (Which, to be clear, would have to basically be NEXT DOOR or something) and arrest them.

 

None of this makes sense.  Why go to a neighbors house to physically tap into the cable network?  Every house would already have a cable drop, even if it's disconnected at the box on the house.  The network still uses MAC address filtered cable modems tied to accounts for access.  Tapping into the wired connection of your neighbor BEFORE their modem does NOTHING to help you gain access.  At that point the drop is no different than it is at any other house, including the perpetrators.  You still need to bypass the cable company's security through MAC Address spoofing or something which you can do with your own drop.

 

Not to mention, if you wanna steal some internet, only a fucking idiot would even try physically tapping into another person's wire.  It leaves this easy to follow wire going to your house.  They'd just beat the WPA encryption into submission and steal it that way.

 

This thread, honestly, is just full of make believe.