Smart Hub 2 Possible Security Issue or weird bug?

[_jonny]

Been having some issues recently with the stability of the line so I decided to login into the admin page of the hub. To my surprise though I see network details (SSID etc) which aren't my own. I click through to the connected devices and I see my neighbours phone tablet etc.

 

• If I refresh the page it seems to revert back to my network again with my devices etc. Has anyone seen behaviour like this before? Strangely the first SSID in the picture doesn't seem to actually exist 

 

[_jonny]

Additional screenshot from the devices page. These are my neighbours devices (they have never been inside my house)

[gg30340]

Do you or your neighbour use powerline adaptors?

[Perceptive]

This is interesting and it would be useful if it stayed on the main thread and was discussed here; especially with regard to any solution.

I do not normally use the Smart Hub 2 but I was forced to, earlier this week, when we had speed issues and generally I was quite impressed by it which was a surprise because I had heard that it was very poor. (That said we use very little wifi but the wifi range of our SH2 was good).

One this that I do not like about the SH2 is that when we login via 192.168.1.254 we do not need to enter a user name and a user password to access the device information which on most router that I use is unusual.

It is hard for me to see the screenshots but you appear to be saying that you can inadvertently access your neighbours SH2, (as well as your own and access is switched between both routers as the page is refreshed). - Is that correct?

When you use the 192.168.1.254 login, can you navigate around the router you can see information about and can you navigate to the advanced areas that need an Admin Password and if so does your Admin Password gain full access or is it locked to your neighbour?

A few more questions:

(1). Are you connected via wifi ?

(2). Are you connected via ethernet ?

(3). Are you on the same electric meter as your neighbour?

If you are connected via wifi: has your neighbour every allowed you to use his internet when yours was off and if so could your device have remembered his wifi password or is your neighbours wifi unlocked/open ?

Since power line adapters can work on wiring on the same electrical  phase some powerline adapters can pass through consumer units but if you are not on the same electric meter as your neighbour then the powerline option is not considered to be possible.  

[gg30340]

@Perceptive

"Since power line adapters can work on wiring on the same electrical  phase some powerline adapters can pass through consumer units but if you are not on the same electric meter as your neighbour then the powerline option is not considered to be possible".

There have been instances on this forum where forum members who have been using power line adaptors have had this problem where they share a wall with their neighbour and the electrical circuits run beside each other even when on a different consumer unit (meter).

[Perceptive]

We learn something new every day.

It seems that there was a thread about this, on a on another forum, a few years ago;

https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/197450

The evidence seems to be anacdotal but in the senario you put forward it is possible. 

[gg30340]

If you can be bothered to search this forum threads you will find that there are a few threads about it and they are not anecdotal because the problem was resolved when the "rogue" powerline adaptors were replaced the problem was resolved.

[_jonny]

I use power line adapters, not sure about my neighbours but from the evidence you've suggested I'm guessing they do too. I'm surprised that they've ended up connecting because we are on different meters but maybe living in a block of flats there is some kind of route between the circuits.

It actually makes sense because it explains the intermittent speed issues I've been having lately but the hub was reporting it's usual sync speed. I suppose the easiest solution is to change the IP of the hub and range the DHCP server is assigning IPs from

[gg30340]

Make sure that you have the powerlines set up with a password and I would suggest that you inform your neighbour to do the same.

The problem appears to be that the the signal being sent along one electrical cable can cross over to another electrical cable if they are running beside each other which can be the case in adjoining houses.

If the powerline adaptors are password protected it should go some way to stop the signal being read. 

The electrical meter has nothing to do with any of this. What was previously referred to only applies if the ring mains are on different consumer units formally known as fuse boxes.

[WSH]

As I understand it, the confusion comes about because of issues with 3-phase.  The signal can only be passed to another phase if the wiring goes through the same meter.  More of a problem in industrial premises than residential homes.   I agree with the advice, however, always change the default encryption on anything you buy.