Can anyne here hack a DSL Modem?

OK, not what you think, but I am wondering if my Modem is being hacked into. Had some new neighbors move in two weeks back. I can see their wifi and I am sure they can see mine.

I am using an Actiontec GT784wn DSL, WAP2/PSK and a long random character Pass Key and the router set to NAT only, so I think it should be secure. It all works fine and streams Netflix like a champ using just wifi.

But, when I go to access the Modem firmware it refuses to connect. I have to tun off the modem an then on again, let it reboot and then I can access it. About half an hour later, if I try to access it, it times out again. Turn-off, turn on and it's OK again for a short while.

Now, if I turn off wifi and just use a cable, this never happens. I can access it when I like.

Thoughts? Could these reclusive new neighbors be tinkering with my wifi stuff?

So, if you can hack a Modem, then please tell me what I need to do for peace of mind to prevent the possibility of intrusion.

Thanks

Your modem/router could get hacked by the internet itself however since the hacker has your ISPs network to go through first you are almost certainly safe from an attack from the internet side of things. Please understand that NAT will not offer any protection for your router/modem from the internet since one of it's interfaces (DSL connection) has a public IP address. As for your neighbor trying to hack your router via your wireless network? Highly unlikely, especially with the high encryption and authentications standards that you are using. If they were going to hack your router/modem I would find that the least of my worries since to do that they would need to be on the inside of your network which can be done by joining the wireless LAN. As stated earlier it is unlikely that they could do such a thing with your current setup.

As for your inconsistency of being able to connect to your router/modem via Wireless I doubt that this is caused by a possible intrusion but rather a possible issues with ARP or maybe some other issue.

As for security, as long as your router is using NAT and no devices are used in the DMZ zone (Not ON by default) you should be fine Your ISP does a good job in ensuring that any malicious connections trying to reach you are blocked. Also, not to mean any disrespect but hackers will probably have no interest in accessing your network but rather are interested in the data on your devices (bank details .. .etc) therefore it would be much easier for them to infect the machine with malware to do the job for them rather than trying to tackle the ISP to get to your network. For this reason I would be more conscious about the security on my end devices and machines rather than my router/modem.

Hope This Helps,
Josh

Since you said you had a long password you are probably safe that way but one other thing you should check and see if your router has WPS enabled I tried it on my router and I managed to hack into it without the password I used for wpa. Here are some links to read about it if you have never heard of this attack before

Hands-on: hacking WiFi Protected Setup with Reaver | Ars Technica

How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WPA Password with Reaver

https://windowssecrets.com/top-story/routers-using-wps-are-intrinsically-unsafe/