Is Someone Stealing Your Wi-Fi? Here’s How to Find Out
Concerned about potential Wi-Fi theft? You’re not alone. With the increasing prevalence of this issue, detecting unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network can be challenging. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of examining your Wi-Fi network for suspicious devices. Additionally, we’ll provide valuable tips on safeguarding your Wi-Fi and ensuring its security.
Considering the various individuals who may have connected to your Wi-Fi network—whether they are friends, family members, or others—it’s important to regularly monitor the devices that are linked to it. Among the legitimate connections, suspicious devices with unfamiliar names and unfamiliar gadgets can go unnoticed.
Here are the tips for identifying suspicious devices on your Wi-Fi network:
- Regularly monitor your network and check for unfamiliar devices.
- Access your router settings by entering the router’s IP address in a web browser.
- Locate the section that displays the connected devices within the router settings.
- Look for devices with strange or unfamiliar names.
- Pay attention to gadgets or devices that you don’t recognize.
- Cross-reference the connected devices with the devices used by your family, friends, and authorized guests.
- Consider changing your Wi-Fi network password regularly to prevent unauthorized access.
- Enable network encryption, such as WPA2 or WPA3, for enhanced security.
- Use a strong and unique password for your Wi-Fi network.
- Consider enabling MAC address filtering to allow only specific devices to connect to your network.
Let’s delve into the methods for identifying devices connected to your network.
Table of Contents
How to check Connected Devices on Your Network Using Your Router
The majority of household routers offer a dedicated web interface that grants access to valuable information about the router itself, the external internet connection, and the devices connected to it. Typically, all you need to do is enter 192.168.0.1 into your browser’s address bar.
In case this approach doesn’t work for you, there’s an alternative method to discover your router’s IP address using Command Prompt on Windows. Simply employ the “ipconfig/all” command and locate the Default Gateway address. However, this is just one among several commands available for managing wireless networks in Windows.
To safeguard your network, logging in is essential to access this interface. Initially, the login credentials are set to defaults, with the username often listed as “admin.” However, it is strongly recommended to change these default credentials to something more secure when you first log into the router.
The subsequent steps may vary depending on the brand of your router, the firmware it utilizes, and your internet service provider (ISP). However, you should generally find a setting named “Device Connection Status” or a similar option. This setting should present a comprehensive list of all devices currently connected to your router, encompassing both wireless and wired connections.
For each device, you will have access to view the IP address, MAC address, and device name. Device names are often predefined by the manufacturer, making it easier to identify familiar devices like smartphones and laptops. However, peripherals, smart home equipment, and older devices may lack a configured name or display a random assortment of characters.
If you come across any unfamiliar device, one method to investigate further is to power off each network-connected device one at a time. If a device remains connected even after everything else is disconnected, it could be an indication of an unwanted or potentially malicious device linked to your network.
While this method provides a straightforward approach, it does require regular login to the router’s interface to review connected devices. Additionally, it lacks tracking capabilities and detailed information. Consequently, it serves as an excellent starting point, but for a more thorough analysis of your network, you may want to explore further options.
Checking Devices on Your Network with WNW
In the realm of Windows operating systems, numerous methods exist for identifying devices within your home network. One highly effective tool is Wireless Network Watcher (WNW) developed by NirSoft. This software scans the network you’re currently connected to and generates a comprehensive list of devices, along with their corresponding MAC and IP addresses.
While you can conveniently view the device list within the WNW interface, the software also offers the option to export the information in various formats such as HTML, XML, CSV, or TXT. Although this may seem similar to checking your router, WNW provides additional advantages. It eliminates the need to log into the router interface for this purpose and can automatically refresh the device list.
Furthermore, WNW enables you to set up alerts for specific devices being added to or removed from your network. The software maintains a record of all devices encountered on the network, along with the frequency of their connections.
You have the option to either install the tool on your computer or run it as a portable application without the need for installation. By downloading the WNW ZIP edition, you can easily copy it to a USB flash drive and utilize it on any computer you wish, ensuring its portability and convenience.
How to See Who Is on Your Network with Fing
For a simplified process spanning multiple devices and platforms, Fing comes highly recommended. This versatile desktop and mobile software, akin to WNW, assist in monitoring and managing connected devices across various networks on macOS, Windows, Android phones, and iOS devices.
Once you have Fing installed, activate the Network Discovery feature to unveil a comprehensive list of devices currently linked to your network. This invaluable feature provides essential information such as IP and MAC addresses, along with customizable user-defined names.
While Fing can be used locally on your device without an account, signing up enables you to access stored networks on any Fing-installed device. This facilitates the synchronization of multiple network configurations, the setup of email alerts for any alterations, and the ability to conduct and record internet speed tests for future reference.
Fing offers free usage, although you can enhance its capabilities with the addition of Fingbox. This hardware product connects to your router, granting you the ability to monitor the network, establish internet schedules, and bolster security measures.
Enhance your network security measures
In the event that you discover a neighbour is illicitly using your Wi-Fi, there’s no need to engage in a confrontation. Instead, you can effectively remove them from your network by strengthening your router’s security settings. Access your router’s web interface and locate the option to modify your password, typically found within the Wireless section or a similar menu.
If you currently lack a password, it is imperative that you establish one immediately, and it must be robust. Without a password, your personal information becomes susceptible to amateur hackers who happen to pass by. Opt for WPA2 as the password type, as it presents a significantly higher level of difficulty to crack compared to the outdated WEP protocol.
Ensure that the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) feature is disabled. Enabling this feature could potentially facilitate unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi password, so it is recommended to turn it off if it is currently activated. If you wish to grant guests access to your Wi-Fi without compromising your own devices and data, consider enabling your router’s guest network or sharing the password securely.
In the scenario where you already had a password in place—albeit a weak one that neighbours could easily guess—changing it to a new and robust passphrase should suffice in removing their access. Keep in mind that you will need to re-authenticate all of your devices; however, you can now have peace of mind knowing that only authorized devices belong to your network.
