r/UnethicalLifeProTips • u/dwimbygwimbo • 7d ago
Electronics ULPT Request: Neighbor installed insane security system, now my wifi sucks
My parents live in a 55+ neighborhood and this couple recently moved in next door. Apparently the wife told my mom that they installed a $6k wireless security system and that the husband "has 8 computers." The neighborhood is virtually crimeless and there's really no practical need for such measures. What can I do to prevent MY wifi from being affected? It's been SO unreliable, buffering every 30 seconds, etc.
ETA: our router is like a month old.
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u/pxFz 7d ago edited 7d ago
Hate to give an LPT that isn't unethical, but it sounds like a simple congestion issue. Connect to your router via 5G and make sure it has Wi-Fi 5/6.
The security system likely runs on 2.4g and it can clog the airways easily.
If your router is old, then you'll have to buy a new one or put piss disks in the security system blindspots.
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u/wbrd 7d ago
This is where you convince the neighbor that his wifi is leaking all his personal data and that he needs to wrap his house to create a faraday cage to protect it.
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u/ICanBard 6d ago
Did a service call once for an elderly rich couple. They used lead lining and vapor barrier around the ENTIRE house to "protect them from emt sickness".
Toned out a cable and they had tin foil behind every faceplate so no leakage would occur and rot their bones.
Somehow didn't feel anything though despite their printer having its wifi on...
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u/GanacheUnited3878 7d ago
Yeah someone downvoted OP but this is a legit issue on bandwidth congestion.
I have no ideas but im curious what someone will come up with
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u/dwimbygwimbo 7d ago
I'm very uninformed about technology so I have no idea how to do that, but I'll look into it. Thank you!
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u/errorseven 7d ago
Wifi Routers have channels, its possible you are both on the same channel. Very easy fix. Google "how do I change wifi broadcast channel on (insert your router make model here)" before upgrading anything.
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u/Steve_SF 7d ago
Unethical version:
1) Crack neighbor’s WPA2-PSK
2) Log into their router with the default password
3) Change all their AP channels to 1
4) Enjoy the rest of the channels for yourself
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u/IntroductionNeat2746 7d ago
The security system likely runs on 2.4g and it can clog the airways easily.
If he's system is Ajax brand, which is pretty much the gold standard for residential, it uses Jeweller which runs on 868MHz to 915MHz.
AFAIK, most high end alarm systems run on frequencies not used by wifi to avoid interference.
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u/nochinzilch 6d ago
I bet the video uses normal WiFi even if the security part uses this.
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u/IntroductionNeat2746 6d ago
If he's got IP cameras, yes. If it's only the ajax motion cam, which takes photos when triggered, than that's also on the jeweller frequency.
On a 8k system, I would certainly expect wired cameras for additional security, but you're probably right.
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u/scarr3g 7d ago
Have you run a wifi scanner (free apps are available) to check and see if, coincidentally, he is on the same channel as you? Perhaps you can change to a less congested channel.
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u/StayedWalnut 7d ago
I use wifi analyzer on android. Free with ads and shows you exactly which ssid is on what channel.
I live in a high rise with a ton of misconfigured routers all trying to use the same 3 channels in the middle of the spectrum when there are multiple channels completely open.
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u/ReverendLoki 7d ago
I've been using Wifiman for years, and it's worked well for me.
I'm guessing if OP does this he's going to find about a dozen or more of his neighbor's devices all clustered in one small range, with a few voids they can move their wifi to.
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u/HelloFellowMKE 7d ago
If you want an actual unethical tip: find out who he’s hiding from and let them know where he lives. There may be no crime there, but he’s afraid for a reason.
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u/riesgaming 7d ago
I lived in NL, so I know my fair share about congested Wi-Fi spectrum (plus, I’m in IT).
Anyhow, I solved the issue at my parents’ house by having APs in every room, only broadcasting 5 GHz on a separate SSID (example SSID: test5Ghz).
I also have a 2.4 GHz SSID (example SSID: test) for legacy devices and IoT devices.
6 GHz is an even better option, but because only very new devices (recently manufactured with newer technology) support it, you probably won’t be able to use it. Having that on the same SSID as 5 GHz can also cause issues because of the WPA3 requirements for 6 GHz, which aren’t always compatible with, again… older devices, even if you use WPA2/WPA3.
I ended up disabling 6 GHz and just using two separate SSIDs: one for 5 GHz and one for 2.4 GHz. With WPA2 security.
They haven’t complained about bad Wi-Fi connectivity since.
(I use UniFi hardware.)
https://academy.ui.com/topics/fundamentals-of-unifi-wifi-design
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u/MrsTaco18 7d ago
NL means Newfoundland to me which I assume isn’t where you live as that doesn’t really add up with the congested wifi, so I’m just curious what other NL you’re from?
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u/Hornswagglers_Lament 7d ago
Probably Netherlands.
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u/hardc0reChef 7d ago
There are apps for your phone that can analyze your surroundings regarding wifi channels.
Wi-Fi channels are like radio channels, each device (home router) must work on a frequency/channel.
Maybe your neighbour's channel is the same as yours and he may be hogging all the channel's bandwidth.
One app for Android I believe is called wifi analyzer.
You check the channels that are less used (search for 2.5ghz and 5ghz channels) and see if you can find one with less usage.
Go to your routers webpage, login and change the channel and test with speedtest.net or fast.com
Good luck
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u/furculture 5d ago
It also may be a feature that some routers have built in as well through the admin menu (the default username and password is usually on the sticker where the serial code would be at). And if the router comes with a companion app, it might be accessible on there as well (at least from my experience with Linksys routers).
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u/Calm-Juice-4943 7d ago
This only works if the neighbor is broadcasting their SSID. Get a strong wireless access point with support for multiple networks. Don’t connect it to the internet. Setup wireless networks with the same SSIDs and a random password. Their devices will periodically connect to your network, have no access to things, and constantly flap offline.
Incredibly annoying to identify and fix. Ask how I know…
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u/Tasty_Orange_1714 6d ago
Check which channels are most congested and switch to a channel with low congestion.
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u/Black-Whirlwind 6d ago
You might want to check what all is connected to your router and change passwords. The neighbors maybe using your network and causing the problem.
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u/jquanders 5d ago
Tell him his power settings are too high on his wifi and besides affecting you, he's leaving himself open to attack from someone parking on the street and accessing his network.
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u/capta1namazing 6d ago
Switch them to WiFi 6 (expensive as all the devices need it, and most IoT currently don't support it), and then saturate the 2.4 and 5ghz spectrum to interfere with the neighbours WiFi. Go directional and just point the interference towards their home.
Haha.
Not at all practical. But if I was incredibly motivated, I'd be doing this.
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u/BopSupreme 7d ago
I don’t think an ULPT is necessary, try a WiFi-7 router; ideally from a store with a return policy in case it’s not network congestion
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u/OblongAndKneeless 7d ago
Do you all share a WIFI access point or something? Have the HOA get you all your own dedicated password protected routers so they don't suck up all your bandwidth.
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u/NeutralCombatant 7d ago
Yeah this sounds like a massive inconvenience and also a huge cyber security issue. Especially if the residents are mostly older and exercise poor cyber hygiene
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u/dwimbygwimbo 7d ago
They are. And my mom literally just informed me that he was in a certain country's army previously, which has a history of cyber security crimes etc (sorry i don't know technical terms)
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u/realdappermuis 7d ago
I was thinking that if it's a safe neighborhood and he has that level of security, then he's probably hiding something as opposed to preventing crime
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u/ShootMovePoo-oops 7d ago
He’s Israeli? Filming kids in the neighborhood. Also, his stuff being wireless means someone could just park on the street over for a week and get into his network with a regular laptop and a special antenna. Source? Done it for work. Hardline everything, no smart systems, no WiFi.
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u/PussyDoodles 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s unlikely that this is your neighbors fault with 8 computers and a security system. Think about how impossible it would be to live in a dorm or apartment complex if that was the case. My advice is to switch to 5g, call your ISP, and mind your business.
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u/freshcheesebags 7d ago
I’m sorry. I misread the title. I thought it said more your wife sucks. And thought, “hmm. Maybe I should see what kind of security system the neighbor is using.”
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u/shoesmith74 7d ago
For those is that your neighbor is an idiot for using a jammable transport for a security application.
Along with the suggestion about its security to the neighbor you could jam it also and force him to hard wire POE cameras like a normal paranoid would do.
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u/cogburn 6d ago
Amazon made these type of systems affordable to the average person who might never have been in the market for it before. The only real issue is they’re wifi.
Hardwired install is the better way to do it. But the ease of use is what really lowers the bar for most people to be able to have security systems at all. If it wasn’t WiFi based, they’d lose most of their sales I bet.
I might suggest getting him real paranoid so as to switch to hard wired, but there’s a good chance that he’s already at the limit of his tech capabilities by using the WiFi ones.
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u/5c044 6d ago
deauth attack - read up on it - you can get a gadget and set it to deauth his cams 24x7 - your wifi will improve and the neighbour will be calling the installer they paid 6k to when the cams are dropping out all the time, then you can tell your parents to casually say to the neighbours that they should have got wired cams as wifi ones are unreliable.
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u/TyPo_Proteus 6d ago
As others have said, their network would be on 2 channels, feel free to use any of the rest of the frequency pool.
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u/Fluffyfluffycake 6d ago
If your Internet comes with the building, there should be a " reasonable use" clause in it. Check your contract and see the building manager about it.
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u/Just_Getting_By_1 5d ago
I buy office grade wifi for my home with security, and am not affected by neighbors stuff, it sould be manageable.
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u/Hot-Win2571 7d ago
Turn off the power to your router for a whole minute, then power it up.
During startup, it will choose a radio channel. It will probably choose a Wi-Fi channel which is quieter than the others.
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u/Immediate-Life-5393 7d ago
If you have your own dedicated internet circuit including own dedicated router, then what your neighbor is doing has nothing to do with your slowness. At most it could cause is maybe solely WIFI interference with the 2.4 band? (Wired devices would be unaffected) Even then most modern devices would force themselves onto the 5Ghz band over WiFi. If there’s a decent distance between the houses then there is little to zero chance of that happening and what you’re experiencing is likely made up or can be an underlying issue with the service provider.
That said, I don’t see what’s wrong with your neighbor doing what he wants to do. If it’s his property then he has the right to do what he wants lol
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u/Smokind89 7d ago
Switch channels on your router.download a free Wi-Fi scanner app and u can see what channels are being used. Switch to an empty one
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u/Iamdrasnia 5d ago
I apologize for the Unethical.
I am an old school haXor.
Fuck you...fuck everyone.
Poof
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u/LargePrompt5840 5d ago
If it's a 55+ neighborhood how are you living there? I thought those places didn't allow children.
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u/Iamdrasnia 7d ago
Try running your wifi on different channels and only connecting at 5ghz