Stolen WiFi: What was this guy complaining about?

[Chronos]

I can’t even find any setting to automatically connect to unknown WiFi networks.

[Phatt_Ded_AElvys]

Um… did it sound like this: PrankDial - The Original Internet Prank Call Website ? It’s the top result on google for “angry caller stealing wifi”

[Chronos]

Yes, in fact, it sounded exactly like that. So I think we can call this one officially solved, and all that’s left is to figure out exactly which of my shortlist of disgruntled students it was who sent it.

[K2500]

That’s what I was alluding to in post 9. Some of those record your reaction for your prankers amusement or at least they used to. The one whose number I called back was answered by a recording that said essentially “you’ve been pranked”.

[Defensive_Indifference]

@Defensive_Indifference

I’m leaning toward the explanation that someone is trying to prank or harass Chronos, but I think steronz’s suggestion is a good one. Chronos, you’re a teacher, right? Maybe one of your students was sponging off someone’s WiFi and using it to submit an assignment to you in your institution’s Learning Management System (Blackboard, Canvas, whatever), which WiFi Guy somehow misinterpreted as you logging in? And then, as steronz suggested, WiFi Guy looked you up?

Shoulda stuck with my gut on this one.

[steronz]

Well I liked your theory

[simster]

@Chronos

My phone is an Android (specifically, a Moto G4), and I’ve never installed any WiFi apps. Connecting only to networks I’ve already manually connected to is the default behavior (though it does sometimes helpfully point out that open networks are available, and asks if I want to connect).

I suppose that there must be some level of communication between a device and a router even before an actual connection is made, and that that might show up in the logs. And it sounds like a bad idea for a phone to use its phone number as the identifier for such communication, but possible.

Seems this would be trivialy easy for you to validate - simply disconnect and forget your current WiFi router and then check logs after your phone detects it.

[abcdefghij]

@Chronos

all that’s left is to figure out exactly which of my shortlist of disgruntled students it was who sent it.

Play it safe; punish them all

[DesertDog]

@Chronos

Calling the guy back would make sense, in a logical world… but he was irate enough when he called that I think that the course of prudence is to have as little contact with him as possible.

Since the mystery has been solved this is too late but I am reminded about a joke/anecdote where a guy is awakened by a call at two in the morning from an irate neighbor, “Your GD dog has been barking all night and keeping me awake!”

He mumbled an apology then hung up. The next morning at two he called the neighbor back. “I have no dog.”

[Joey_P]

@pulykamell

Actually, now that you mention it, that’s right. It is for known networks. I only just realized it, as my phone is constantly trying to connect to free networks around town, but they all have the same name: xfinity wifi. So even though there’s myriad of those networks throughout town, it’s still a known network even if the individual hotspots aren’t known. Ah, that makes sense. It annoys me because sometimes I’ll be walking around using my phone’s LTE connection and it’ll automatically lock into a weak xfinity signal from somebody’s house and will be slow as hell until I figure out what’s going on and disable wifi. I could just have the phone forget the network and I should be good to go.

Sorry for the aside–just had an “aha!” moment that should solve one of life’s minor annoyances.

My phone is always doing that. Every time I glance at it while I’m at a red light it’s sitting there saying 'hey, buddy, there’s some wifi over there at the gas station…come on, just click the icon"

@Chronos

I can’t even find any setting to automatically connect to unknown WiFi networks.

I’m not entirely sure if my phone will auto connect (as in, can reach the internet) on a network it’s never seen before, even if it’s unsecured. However, I’m guessing the MAC address from my phone still shows up on routers it sees. At least in the logs and possibly in the attached device list. As I mentioned earlier, I do see random devices in my connected devices list and logs and I always just assume it’s someone driving by.

There are handful of very easy things you can do to prevent someone from connecting (even if they’d guess/know your password).

[Mama_Zappa]

@I_Love_Me_Vol.I

I see. I have an Android. I guess with these you need an app to do this. I wonder if Chronos has iPhone or Android?

No - I’m on Android. When it spots a new network it asks me if I want to connect. If I say yes, then it asks if I want to automatically connect in the future. If I say no, it does not attempt to do so - it lets me know it’s available, but does not automatically connect.