A system and method to detect and geographically locate rogue wireless
access users to a computer network are described. The present invention
maps an area covered by the wireless network into islands with
substantially similar network performances based on information collected
by a network management system. This information is collected throughout
the day to form a spatial performance model which comprises historical
records of each island, giving a dynamic picture of the area covered. The
averages of these historical values of the performance parameters at each
time interval of the day form the basis of comparison with the captured
current values of the rogue user. Once a potential intruder has been
identified from his Media Access Control and Internet Protocol addresses,
the algorithm of the present invention is used to localize the suspect
into the island which has the substantially similar performance
characteristics as the rogue user's computer.