How to find the owner of a wifi network

10,434

Go around the neighborhood knocking on doors. This is you best bet. Obviously there is a variant with RSSI measurements, but in the neighborhoods with a lot of networks and multiple walls, that usually does not help. To be honest, you walking around the neighborhood with a laptop and antenna will freak the kids out much more then some offensive network name.

Seriously, I recommend you to just leave it alone. Get over it. This network ID does not contain any curse words or directly offensive language. In fact, even if it would be offensive, then you could not do anything. WiFi names are not regulated by any law as far as I know (this subject is mentioned/discussed here and here)

And even if you find the owner, there is nothing you can do about it. I am pretty sure the owner of the network will turn out to be some 16-year-old kid with a specific sense of humor. And I recommend you to get away from the PC and spend more time with kids instead of worrying about cyber bullying - this would really help.

10,434

user328184

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

user328184 over 1 year

I live in a neighborhood where the houses are close together - when I click on wifi, I get a long list of available networks. One of those available networks has a name that startled me, something like "HIDE YOUR KIDS".

Our neighborhood is FULL of kids outside playing every day. This network name seems like some kind of warning or a sick joke which I will not ignore. Any suggestions on pinpointing the location of this network?
- Admin almost 10 years
  
  just a little background on the phrase: knowyourmeme.com/memes/antoine-dodson-bed-intruder
- arielnmz almost 10 years
  
  I don't think WiFi works like a sonar
- Art Gertner almost 10 years
  
  @arielnmz, no it does not. However there is a RSSI. You can use it to estimate the distance to the device with a very low precision. It also depends on the amount and type of obstacles in signal's way. There have been experiments to do WiFi triangulation all showing little or no success. I have tried it myself back in Uni days - it can be done in ideal environment with no walls and reflections (like in the field). But not in town. Also, read superuser.com/q/601005/281154, and superuser.com/q/705835/281154
- arielnmz almost 10 years
  
  That's some good info right there, however the OP wants to pinpoint the location and afaik it's not possible.
- Art Gertner almost 10 years
  
  That is exactly what I said. Its possible to try, and a lot of people tried. But you cannot pinpoint the signal source.
- Thalys almost 10 years
  
  superuser.com/q/750296/10165 is worth reading on the why.