Laptop can still pick up old wifi even though I cancelled ISP

Vee443 · 02 Nov 2012

Hi,

I was with an ISP for a month. I used a router and named it AAA (let's just say). I initially put a password for it. It was working for all but one roommate (she couldn't connect at all) so we made it open access since we had unlimited internet. We used it this way for about 2 weeks but that didn't work for her either so we decided to switch. The internet service was terminated the next day and then Bell came in the day after to install.

Bell gave us a modem but we used the same router. I reset everything again and connected the router to the Bell modem. Bell had given us the login name and password and we could all successfully connect. We're a month into using internet with Bell but today, I realized that my laptop could still pick up AAA signal (still unsecured). I decided to try connecting to it and the internet worked.

I'm wondering if this is because we used the same router? If I use the AAA signal, will it take up some of our Bell internet usage? I have no idea what's going on

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!

Neutron16 · 02 Nov 2012

When you mentioned Bell's login name and password, you did not specified if that was for wireless or not.
Does Bell's modem has wireless capability as well?

Is Bell's modem ADSL(telephone line) or cable? What kind of connection was supplied by previous ISP (cable or ADSL)?

But likely if you have connected your router to Bell's modem, router has no other option than to take usage from Bell's modem.

If you can't answer my questions, you could just provide us with model numbers for those both hardware units. You can find model names on devices themselves (on little stickers with small print).

Vee443 · 02 Nov 2012

Hi,
The Bell login was for wireless.
The Bell internet is DSL and the previous ISP was DSL as well.

I was thinking the same. I just think it's weird that my laptop can still pick up both wifi names and connect to the old wifi too. When I connect to the AAA one, it has 5 bars while Bell only has 2 bars but when I connect to the Bell wifi, then it has 4 bars but AAA still has 5 bars.

Thanks!

Neutron16 · 02 Nov 2012

Well, in this case, I guess, you can safely power off and disconnect your own router and keep only Bell's one. Do not worry about "bars", that is only an approximation.

Vee443 · 02 Nov 2012

I'm just wondering, would it hurt to keep the AAA signal? If I use it from time to time, would it count as part of my Bell usage? Part of me is thinking it will but if it doesn't then hey, that's cool hahaa.

Neutron16 · 02 Nov 2012

If your router is connected directly to Bell's box then this means that anybody can connect to your Bell internet via your router since it does not have protection, as you have mentioned.
Any stranger can steal your bandwidth, basically.

Vee443 · 02 Nov 2012

I reset the router and I also went to the actual DLINK site to login and fix the settings. AAA is no longer there. Thanks for the explanation!