How to know if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We are looking for freebie lovers and close access to our wireless network.

Modern routers are fairly well protected. However, the situation when an intruder appears on your Wi-Fi network is not so incredible. Your connection can be abused by neighbors to whom you once gave the password. Or especially stubborn freebie lovers who have found the right combination using a set of applications.

Therefore, if your Internet has become obscenely slow and you suspect that someone other than you is using it, here's what you should try.

How to detect foreign devices

Look at the LEDs on your router

The simplest, but not the most reliable method. Turn off all wireless devices in your home, then look at the Wi-Fi indicator on your router. If it keeps blinking, then there are other devices on the network.

However, you can have many other Wi-Fi devices other than your smartphone and computer - for example, a TV or a game console. Disabling them all takes a long time. Therefore, it is better to turn to another method.

Use a dedicated app

Special programs for smartphones can determine how many devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network and what kind of devices they are. The simplest and most convenient application for this purpose is Fing. It works on Android and iOS.

Using Fing is as easy as shelling pears. Install, open and see a list of your devices. Check it for extraneous items - whether all the devices in the list are familiar to you.

For Windows 10, you can use the simple Wireless Network Watcher application. It doesn't even require installation.

Open the home page of the application, scroll down to the bottom and find the download link in the ZIP archive. Download, unzip, run and in a minute you will see all devices connected to the router.

Look in the router log

Finally, a way for those who are not looking for easy ways or do not want to install anything. Go to the settings of the router by typing its address in the browser. This is usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Enter your username and password - as a rule, both there and there this word is admin. If this is not the case for your router, check the manual that came with it or the sticker on the case.

Now go to the DHCP section. Look for "DHCP Clients List" or an item with a similar name.

Open it and see the devices connected to your network.

Consider, however, this nuance. The list will display only those devices that have received an IP address from the router. If a hacker sets a static address in the settings of his gadget, it will not be visible.

How to close access to your network

Change the Wi-Fi password

This is the first thing to do. Go to the router settings, find the section "Wi-Fi network" or "Wireless network" (Wireless) and open it. You will see a field with the wireless network password. If it is not there, then it is located in the sub-item "Security" or "Security of the wireless network" (Security) - on different routers the settings are slightly different.

Change your password and click "Save". You will have to re-enter the Wi-Fi network on all of your devices.

Set up guest mode

No need to give guests and friends access to your main Wi-Fi network - create a speed-limited guest room. Thus, you will save the speed of the Internet for yourself and will not give strangers the opportunity to view your files on the local network.

Go to the router settings and find the “Guest Mode” item there. Enter her name, create a password, set speed limits and click "Save". Now guests will not be able to abuse your generosity.

Share Wi-Fi via QR Code

Instead of dictating the network password to your guests, show them the QR code. This will prevent them from remembering the password and then secretly connecting to your Internet. Of course, more advanced users will be able to extract the password from the QR-code, but not very savvy freeloaders will cut it off.

Xiaomi devices, for example, can share Wi-Fi through a built-in feature. Go to settings, tap Wi-Fi and tap the network you're connected to. MIUI will show a QR code.

In addition, you can create such an element on any device using the QiFi service.

You will need to enter a network name and password, and specify the type of encryption. Then click on the Generate button and print the QR code or save it somewhere.

Make sure you use strong security

Take a look at the router settings and check which security protocol you are using. On older routers, these may be legacy WEP and WPA, but they are quite insecure. Switch to modern WPA2 and make sure you are using WPA2 ‑ AES (instead of the less secure WPA2 ‑ TKIP). To do this, go to the same settings section where you set the Wi-Fi password, and select the required protocol from the drop-down list.

It is also worth turning off WPS. This function is designed for convenient connection to a router: activate Wi-Fi in the interface of your device, then press the button on the router, and the device connects to the network. If your router does not have a WPS button, it will prompt you for an eight-digit PIN instead. The problem is that this code can be hacked.

So find the WPS section in the router settings and disable this function.