How to Tell What Is Connected to My Wifi
Is your internet moving a little slower than usual? Are you seeing hints of devices you don't recognize in File Explorer, or when yous cast media to your Television receiver? If you lot suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, here's how to check (and boot them off).
"And so someone'southward watching Netflix on my internet," y'all may say. "What's the big bargain?" Fifty-fifty if yous take a trivial bandwidth to spare, you probably don't want other people on your network, peculiarly if information technology's unsecured. If someone has access to your network, they have access to all the computers on that network, and that's dangerous. They could admission files you're unknowingly sharing, they could infect you with malware, and in certain situations they could even steal your passwords and other personal information.
Every bit a consequence, y'all should take care to make sure each device connected to your network is one you trust. Thankfully, in that location are free tools that will assist you see everyone on your Wi-Fi right now.
Our Meridian-Rated Wireless Routers
See Who's On Your Network
Windows users can download a gratuitous, portable program called Wireless Network Watcher (ringlet downwards to the Zip download link below "Feedback" to get it), which will provide a list of every device currently continued to your network, and so you lot can place the ones that vest to you.
To utilise Wireless Network Watcher, only launch the programme, and it volition immediately begin scanning your network. This will take a minute or two—yous'll know it's working if the bottom-left corner reads "Scanning..." Once it's done, that bulletin will disappear, and yous'll be presented with a total list of connected devices.
The resulting list may look a footling ambiguous, specially if you aren't super tech-savvy, but don't worry. You can ignore the IP address and MAC address listings for now. If you're using Wireless Network Watcher, only focus on the Device Name and Network Adapter Company columns.
For example, I see an item named "Dulce" in Wireless Network Watcher, which is the proper name of my wife's MacBook. I see another with no name, but with "Philips Lighting BV" as the network adapter manufacturer, information technology's probably the hub for my Philips Hue lights. You tin can double-click on a device to add "User Text" that helps yous identify each device and narrow down all the items in this list.
Mac users don't have equally many great options—LanScan is a decent pick, though information technology costs $6 for the full functionality. Well-nigh other apps are either expensive, or accept caveats that make them less than ideal. If you're on a Mac, your router's settings page may have the info you need. Or, if y'all accept an iPhone, you can give Fing a try.
Consult Your Router Settings
If yous're lucky, you'll exist able to recognize all the items on that list, but there may be a few that don't have enough information. Afterwards going through my listing, for instance, I was left with a couple devices that listed no name and no manufacturer. Yet, I was able to get a little more than data from my router'south web interface.
You tin can open your router'due south direction page by typing its IP address in your browser's address bar. One time there, look for an option that sounds like "Attached Devices" or "Client Listing." This will nowadays you with a similar list as Wireless Network Watcher, just the information may be slightly dissimilar. After cross-referencing the unknown devices between the two, I found i of them was listed equally "AzureWave Technology, Inc" in my router'due south interface, simply not Wireless Network Watcher. A little Googling revealed that this was my Rachio sprinkler system, so I was able to mark that downwards and move on.
If yous run into any other unlabeled devices in the list, check around your house for whatever internet-continued gadgets you might have missed. I realized that my Amazon Echo wasn't listed, so afterwards checking the Alexa app on my telephone, I was able to friction match its MAC accost to one of the unlabeled items in Wireless Network Watcher.
If all goes well, you should be able to place every device on your network. If at that place are any left over, and you've combed your house looking for other cyberspace-continued devices and found nothing, in that location's a chance someone nearby may be using your Wi-Fi.
Beef Up Your Network Security
Even if you discover that a neighbour is stealing your Wi-Fi, yous don't demand to hunt them downward and showtime a fuss—you tin but boot them off with a change in router security. Caput back to your router'southward web interface and observe the selection to alter your password (commonly nether the "Wireless" section somewhere). If you don't have a countersign, you absolutely need to start using one, and it needs to exist strong. Without a countersign, your personal data is up for grabs to any amateur hacker that drives by. Cull WPA2 for the password type, since information technology'southward far more difficult to crack than the now-outdated WEP.
If WPS is turned on, you should turn it off, since this feature makes it easier for people to crack your Wi-Fi countersign. If yous want to let guests on your Wi-Fi without giving them admission to your devices and information, you lot can always enable your router'due south guest network, or simply share the password wirelessly.
If you lot already had a countersign—possibly it was weak and easy for your neighbors to approximate—changing information technology to something new should be sufficient to kick them off. Of course, you'll also have to re-authenticate all of your devices, but you should exist able to rest a little easier knowing that all the devices on your network belong to you.
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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/see-whos-on-your-wi-fi
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