Ghost in the Network

[Jeff C]

I'll start this by stating I will try to provide as much relative information as possible.  I have an interesting situation with my home network in which my old old wifi SSID is still showing up on found wifi signals.  Not only is it still showing up, but using a wifi analyzer its also showing to use a massive amount of bandwidth on channels 1-5ish on the 2.5ghz Band.

A little backstory.
I purchased an asus wireless AC router back in 2014/2015ish in my old apt, and named its SSID. For the sake of discretion I will call its ssid as Asus01.  Now I have since moved twice, switched from Spectrum to Fios (who by the way have gotten shittier over the year) and been utilizing their shitty ac router so my roommate can utilize the cable package.  For the longest time my asus router was unplugged, never connected to the new home network and tucked in a box, until I let a friend borrow it.  Even though it was disconnected and unused for about a year and 1 additional move, its SSID is still broadcasting.   My initial thought that maybe it was being cached on another device that used it, such as my or my friends PCs, our cell phones, the ps3, smart tv, ect. Slowly I been eliminating each of those as a culprit.  Since our most recent move (router still not hooked up or powered on) I have fully upgraded and replaced all parts of my pc save for my psu, my roommate and I both got new phones, the ps3 was disconnected and boxed, and until a week ago my roommate had his pc in storage unused.   

I am really wracking my brain as to why my old router ssid is still showing up on a network scan, and where it can be coming from.

If anyone with more networking knowledge than myself has any ideas I would really appreciate any insight.

thanks fellow nerds.  :slight_smile:

[RozRocks]

Maybe your new router was configured to work with the old one as an additional access point for the other network as well? I would log into your new router and look to see if its configured to have such a function.

[ProjectBox153]

Is it showing up on other devices (that belong to other people)?

[♠FlamieMeister♠]

5 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

I'll start this by stating I will try to provide as much relative information as possible.  I have an interesting situation with my home network in which my old old wifi SSID is still showing up on found wifi signals.  Not only is it still showing up, but using a wifi analyzer its also showing to use a massive amount of bandwidth on channels 1-5ish on the 2.5ghz Band.

A little backstory.
I purchased an asus wireless AC router back in 2014/2015ish in my old apt, and named its SSID. For the sake of discretion I will call its ssid as Asus01.  Now I have since moved twice, switched from Spectrum to Fios (who by the way have gotten shittier over the year) and been utilizing their shitty ac router so my roommate can utilize the cable package.  For the longest time my asus router was unplugged, never connected to the new home network and tucked in a box, until I let a friend borrow it.  Even though it was disconnected and unused for about a year and 1 additional move, its SSID is still broadcasting.   My initial thought that maybe it was being cached on another device that used it, such as my or my friends PCs, our cell phones, the ps3, smart tv, ect. Slowly I been eliminating each of those as a culprit.  Since our most recent move (router still not hooked up or powered on) I have fully upgraded and replaced all parts of my pc save for my psu, my roommate and I both got new phones, the ps3 was disconnected and boxed, and until a week ago my roommate had his pc in storage unused.   

I am really wracking my brain as to why my old router ssid is still showing up on a network scan, and where it can be coming from.

If anyone with more networking knowledge than myself has any ideas I would really appreciate any insight.

thanks fellow nerds.  :slight_smile:

Most likely there is two things:

 

A: Someone just stole your ssid and is trying to trick you into joining.

 

B: It thinks someone else's wifi is that router, and is displaying it as that.

[Theguywhobea]

It's ghosts.

[Jeff C]

Most likely there is two things:

 

A: Someone just stole your ssid and is trying to trick you into joining.

Possible but I highly doubt it for a couple reasons, some being that I can't connect to it at all and it has failed ping tests too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

B: It thinks someone else's wifi is that router, and is displaying it as that.
How would it do this, would a cached device possibly cause the issue.

Whats really confusing me is that I created this SSID in place A, moved to place B, never hooked it up and it still shows up, move to place C a year later completely across the city and still shows up, (also why i dont feel its option A, unless i have a wifi stalker).

If more info is needed I can grab screen shots, tests, etc when i get home.
Thanks

[Jeff C]

Just now, Theguywhobea said:

It's ghosts.

Or Goblins

[Jeff C]

7 minutes ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Is it showing up on other devices (that belong to other people)?

yes, all devices

 

[Theguywhobea]

Just now, Jeff C said:

Or Goblins

Goblins don't  know how to use computers dude

[Jeff C]

8 minutes ago, RozRocks said:

Maybe your new router was configured to work with the old one as an additional access point for the other network as well? I would log into your new router and look to see if its configured to have such a function.

I would think that, but I never linked them, we had the asus router boxed for about 2 years now, and never linked it to the fios one, I think I can configure the Verizon as an AP but never did so...yet

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, Theguywhobea said:

Goblins don't  know how to use computers dude

oh right.. they can only facebook on ipads

[ProjectBox153]

3 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

yes, all devices

So, what's the actual SSID?

[Jeff C]

Just now, Jamiec1130 said:

So, what's the actual SSID?

/sigh.. its um.. dickclown..  (dont ask why)

[ProjectBox153]

Just now, Jeff C said:

/sigh.. its um.. dickclown..  (dont ask why)

I shouldn't have asked. I was making sure it wasn't one of those generic default "netgear2"-like SSIDs. There are loads of those around me.

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, Jamiec1130 said:

I shouldn't have asked. I was making sure it wasn't one of those generic default "netgear2"-like SSIDs. There are loads of those around me.

Oh god no, I customize all my SSIDs, my newone isnt nearly as "special" .  It's just a very odd issue.  If more info is needed I can try to gather it

[RozRocks]

You could always try factory resetting that router and make sure you have nothing else in the house that could be broadcasting a WiFi network. Otherwise, ignorance is bliss I guess.

[kb5zue]

It's "FUBAR" (google it if you don't know).

 

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, RozRocks said:

You could always try factory resetting that router and make sure you have nothing else in the house that could be broadcasting a WiFi network. Otherwise, ignorance is bliss I guess.

I have, and also replaced it 4 times now, Not sure if you are familiar with Fios Routers but they have the average lifespan of Warm Milk

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, kb5zue said:

It's "FUBAR" (google it if you don't know).

 

Thats what im starting to think.  I have tried googling the issues but most of the time its just post from people who dont know how to disable their guest network.

 

[RozRocks]

1 minute ago, Jeff C said:

I have, and also replaced it 4 times now, Not sure if you are familiar with Fios Routers but they have the average lifespan of Warm Milk

Lol, I guess I'm lucky that Fios stopped rolling out gigabit about 1/4 mile from my house. (No salt there at all.)

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, RozRocks said:

Lol, I guess I'm lucky that Fios stopped rolling out gigabit about 1/4 mile from my house. (No salt there at all.)

Its almost like ISPs are colluding to monopolize certain markets right?

[RozRocks]

2 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

Its almost like ISPs are colluding to monopolize certain markets right?

Hmm, you might be onto something there... :thinking: