How Can I Tell If Someone Is Using My Broadband
How to tell if someone is using your WiFi – CenturyLink
Has your internet been running slower than usual? You might have someone “piggybacking” off your internet. When someone connects to your unsecured WiFi network without your permission, that’s considered piggybacking. Most piggybacking cases come from a neighbor who doesn’t want to pay for WiFi themselves and sees an opportunity to connect to yours for free. More rarely, it might be a hacker who connects to an unsecured WiFi network, which makes it easy for them to access your personal information. Securing your WiFi will help prevent anyone from connecting to your WiFi, no matter their intentions.
Two ways to check if someone is on your WiFi
If you start to notice that your internet is slower than usual and you’re pretty sure the network isn’t the issue, check to see if someone has connected to your WiFi without permission. There are two ways to check what devices are connected to your network.
Low-Tech
A simple, low-tech way to check if someone is on your WiFi is to look for a flashing green light on your router after unplugging or turning off anything in your home that connects to your WiFi.
This method works best if you know all the devices that are connected to your WiFi. Be sure to turn off or unplug all smart TVs, computers, tablets, phones, or any other devices connected to your internet. Once you’re confident that all devices have been turned off, look at your router’s wireless signal light. If that light is flashing, another device is still using your internet. If there is no light flashing, you’re in the clear! Be sure to secure your WiFi network.
High-Tech
A more thorough way of checking for unauthorized devices on your WiFi is to find your router’s IP Address and a list of devices that are connected to your internet. To start, you need to determine your router’s IP address. Most router IP addresses are 192. 168. 1. 1, but to be certain, you should follow these quick steps:
Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type in “cmd” and open Command Prompt.
A separate window will pop-up; type in “ipconfig” into that window.
Finally, locate “Default Gateway” and the numbers to the side will be your router’s IP address.
Go to your System Preferences and click on Network.
Select the WiFi you’re connected to (indicated by a green dot) and click on Advance, located to the bottom right corner of the window.
Click on the TCP/IP tab and your IP Address will be the set of numbers next to “Router. ”
Once you have the IP address, open an internet browser window. Type your IP address into the search bar, and a prompt will appear to log into your router. If you’ve never changed your login settings, the username and password can be found on the physical router. It should be printed on a sticker either on the side or the bottom of your router.
Then, to find any devices connected, click on Clients (this can also be My Network, Device Manager, Connected Devices, etc., depending on the brand of router). A list of IP/MAC addresses and device names will appear. From this list, check the device names and make sure you recognize them. If there is a device that you don’t recognize, it’s time to secure your WiFi.
How to protect your WiFi
Securing your home WiFi is the key to keeping unwanted users off your network.
If you haven’t already, set up a strong password to access your WiFi and router. Make the password hard to guess with a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. Don’t use your birthday, address or phone number, since these are easy to find.
If there are signs that someone may be using your WiFi again, make it a priority to match up devices on your IP address. We recommend doing this twice a year. You can even set a reminder in your calendar. Be sure to create a spreadsheet of all the devices you’re familiar with, and update that list whenever you add a new device.
Be sure to only share your login information to those who live in your household and people you trust. Ensure that you are using best practices to keep your private information as secure as you can.
Ensuring your WiFi is secure helps to keep your connection fast and safe from someone piggybacking off your WiFi. By setting up a strong password, taking some time to go through the list of devices connected to your router, and learning how to secure your WiFi, you will be taking the best precautions to keep your information safe. When you stay aware and in control of your WiFi connection, you can be online safely.
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This blog is provided for informational purposes only and may require additional research and substantiation by the end user. In addition, the information is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied. Use of this information is at the end user’s own risk. CenturyLink does not warrant that the information will meet the end user’s requirements or that the implementation or usage of this information will result in the desired outcome of the end user. All third party company and product or service names referenced in this article are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with CenturyLink. This document represents CenturyLink’s products and offerings as of the date of issue. Services not available everywhere. CenturyLink may change or cancel products and services or substitute similar products and services at its sole discretion without notice. ©2021 CenturyLink. All Rights Reserved.
How to Tell If Someone Is Stealing Your Wi-Fi – Business Insider
There are several ways to detect if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi.
Maskot/Getty Images
If you suspect someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, you can look for router network activity.
There are third-party mobile apps that can help ferret out unauthorized Wi-Fi users.
Your router’s web-based admin control panel can help you see what devices are using your network.
Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.
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You’ve no doubt heard the warning for years: It’s critically important to secure your home network with strong Wi-Fi security and a password. Without adequate security, neighbors and other strangers can not only steal your Wi-Fi — a service you no doubt pay for— but the freeloaders might also have access to shared folders and other resources on your network.
How to tell if someone is stealing your Wi-FiIf you are concerned that someone might be stealing your Wi-Fi, there are a few tools at your disposal for finding out. Check your Wi-Fi router’s status lightsThe easiest way to see if someone unauthorized is using your Wi-Fi is to look at your router – but this only works if you can take all your wireless devices offline completely. If you have a lot of devices (like smart home gadgets) using Wi-Fi, don’t bother with this approach and go straight to the next. But if you can count all the devices on your Wi-Fi network on one hand, take them offline — either turn them off or set them to
airplane mode. Then watch the status lights on your Wi-Fi router. With no devices using Wi-Fi, the lights should not be flickering or flashing. If they are, someone else is probably connecting to your network.
Use a Wi-Fi detective appThere are a lot of apps available in the app store for your mobile device that promise to scan your network and provide a list of all the connected devices. You can search the app store for options, but one reliable app is called WiFi Guard, available for both iOS and Android. This app gives you a list of all connected devices, which you can scan to see if there are any devices you don’t recognize.
WiFi Guard is one of many apps that can show you a list of all devices using your network.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider
Many devices will be identified with easily understood names, like your laptop, phone, and some smart home devices. But some may be reported as “unknown device, ” which is relatively unhelpful when trying to determine which are yours and which are interloping.
Use your router’s appIf you have a relatively modern Wi-Fi router, it probably works with a mobile app — in fact, you might have initially configured the router using the app. If that’s the case, you can start the app on your phone and look for a network map, log, or client list. Every router is different and there’s no standardization among router software, so you’ll need to explore. But if you can find this list, it’s essentially an “official” version of the device list from the third-party Wi-Fi detective app. If you have a multiband router, the app will probably even show which radio (such as 2. 4GHz or 5GHz) each device is connected to.
Use your router’s mobile app to look for a list of connected devices.
Log into your admin control panelIf none of those other options are fruitful, your last (and often the most complicated) option is to log into your router’s admin control panel in a web browser. To do this, you’ll need to know:Your admin username: By default, this is almost always “admin, ” though if you practiced good security hygiene, you changed it to something else when you first set up your router. Your admin password: If you have an older router and you never changed the password, this might be hacker bait like “default” or “password. ” Hopefully you’ve changed IP address: Most of the time, your network’s IP address is — enter that address in a web browser and log in if you are offered the opportunity. If that’s not right, you need to find the IP address for your network: In the Start search box, type “ipconfig” and press Enter. Your IP address should be the “Default Gateway. ”
You can find your IP address using the Windows ipconfig tool.
After you’ve logged into your admin control panel, look for a network map, user log, or client list. As we mentioned earlier, every router is different and there’s no standardization among router software, so you’ll need to explore to find it.
How to kick someone off your networkIf you do find an unauthorized device on your home network, there are two simple ways to get rid of them:If you see an unauthorized client in your router’s mobile app or admin control panel, select the entry for that device. You should see the option to block, ban, or eject the device.
You may be able to block devices from your router’s app or admin control panel.
Rather than blocking devices one at a time, you can throw every device off the network at once (including your own devices) by changing the Wi-Fi password. If you don’t already use a password, you should absolutely turn on network security and add a password right now. Even if you already have a password, if someone is using your network and you don’t know how they got access, you should change your password and make it stronger. If your network offers multiple kinds of security, step up to a more secure system, such as moving from WPA or WPA2-TKIP to WPA2-AES. Related coverage from Tech Reference:How to change your Wi-Fi password and secure your internet connectionHow to make a Wi-Fi password to protect your internet, or change your existing passwordHow to enable and use Wi-Fi calling on your Android or iPhone to make calls without cellular serviceHow to change the IP address on an Android phone or tablet using a ‘static’ addressHow to find the IP address of your internet router using a Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android
Dave Johnson
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he’s also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
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How to Tell If Someone Is Stealing Your Wi-Fi | Digital Trends
Everyone and their granny has a Wi-Fi connection in their home, but not all of them run as fast as you might like. While that might just mean you need a new router, it’s possible someone is thieving your connection, too. Fortunately, there are ways to detect it and block them from accessing it ever again.
As long as you have your media access control (MAC) address and an app or two, you can determine if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi or if your connection is just slow. Here’s how.
Is someone stealing your Wi-Fi?
If you only have a few Wi-Fi devices in your house, you may want to unplug or turn them all off and then watch the wireless signal light on your router. If the light continues to flicker, someone else is using your Wi-Fi.
However, this method only works if you can be sure that every wireless-capable device you have is powered down, which may not be easy to do in many homes. So, we present two in-depth methods for checking for Wi-Fi thieves, no matter what setup you have. If you need a refresher on wireless networking itself, then check out our Wi-Fi overview.
Method 1: Use an app
A number of apps are available to provide automatic searches for unusual devices logged into your Wi-Fi network. Checking those devices, especially if they’re connecting at odd times of day when no friends are over, can provide valuable clues. Here are a few apps that can help you pinpoint problems.
Wi-Fi Thief Detector: This app is easy to download and designed to produce fast results. It will show you how many devices are on your router, help you spot devices that don’t belong there, and connect you with your router settings so you can quickly make the changes you need to protect your router (see below for more information).
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor: Paessler’s solution is a full suite of router management tools, including automatic detection of strange traffic, analysis of how the network is being used, and other in-depth tools. It may be a bit much for the average worried homeowner, but it’s an excellent tool for small businesses concerned about someone hopping on their network without permission. We suggest you stick with the 30-day free trial, which should be enough to root out any problems.
Wi-Fi Guard: This handy app, available for iOS and Android, has a pleasant minimalistic interface that allows you to check out all the devices on your network and look for anything suspicious. You can take a look at the details of any suspicious devices and get notifications about any new device that has just logged into your network.
Wireless Network Watcher: This independent software is designed to help Windows and MacOS users watch for suspicious wireless activity and monitor all currently connected devices.
Fing: Fing is an iOS download for more mobile-oriented protection. It allows you to immediately see connected devices, what type of devices they are, and the nature of their connection, MAC address, and so on. You can also check Wi-Fi connection behavior to note particularly busy times that could indicate someone else is hopping onto your network.
Method 2: Check administrator logs
If you suspect that someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, you need to log in to your router’s administration page. Most people can do this by typing 192. 168. 1. 1 or 192. 2. 1 into the address bar. If these don’t work, swing on over to our guide for accessing your router’s admin panel.
Once you’ve accessed the admin page, you’ll need to locate the page listing the various MAC addresses connected to your computer. The location of this page will differ depending on your router, but you may find it under Wireless Configuration, Wireless Status, or in the DHCP Client list. You can use this list to count how many devices are connected to your internet. If you see six MAC addresses — any device connected to your network will have its own unique MAC address — but only have four devices in your home, somebody is probably stealing your internet.
Note: Old phones, gaming consoles, Wi-Fi-enabled cameras, and other connected devices may show up on the MAC address list. You can get a better handle on which MAC address represents which device by using a website like
How to keep outsiders away
123RF
If you suspect someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, it’s a good idea to beef up security (penalties for Wi-Fi theft vary greatly, so consult local law enforcement for follow-up). If you don’t have a password on your network, add one. If you still use the default router name and password, change it — you can do this from the admin page on your router.
To change your password, look for the pre-shared key in your security settings. Changing your wireless password will kick off all current devices (including those unwanted freeloaders), so you’ll have to reconnect your devices once you have a new password.
To change your router name, locate the Service Set Identifier. This is typically found in the wireless settings menu. Look up more specific instructions for your specific brand of router if necessary.
Lastly, it’s important to use the strongest wireless network encryption available for consumers. At this time, though WPA2 may be the most commonly used, WPA3 is the strongest. So you may want to start thinking about getting a new one that features WPA3.
If your router is outdated, you might not be able to find support for it anymore. As a result, you may not have access to security features such as these. If this is the case for you, it may be time to consider purchasing a new router (especially with all the cool, new tech products coming out).
Remove strangers from your Wi-Fi
It’s essential to ensure that your Wi-Fi connection is secure, as it can protect you from dangerous hackers and other threats lurking on the internet. If unauthorized people are currently using your Wi-Fi, you don’t want to secure it while they have access, so you’ll have to boot them off before you start. The simplest thing you can do right off the bat is changing your password to something more complicated, which will kick you and everyone else off your network. Log back into your devices with your updated password, and the connection-leechers will be out of luck. Once you’ve reset your password, you likely won’t have anyone else using your Wi-Fi anymore, but you’ll still want to check regularly to make sure you own all of the devices that are using your connection.
There’s also an additional way to block someone from using your Wi-Fi if you’re able to track down the strange connecting device. Head to your router admin page and look for an option that reads MAC Filtering, Device Filtering, or something similar. This setting allows administrators to add specific MAC numbers to a blocked devices list, inhibiting them from accessing your Wi-Fi network. You can do this by selecting any unknown MAC numbers and inputting them into the list. There are also apps available to help simplify this process for you. Google Nest Wi-Fi makes this super easy, allowing you to select a device on your network and block it in a matter of a few simple steps. Even if you block a device, you’ll still need to regularly check the devices listed because hackers can use a different MAC address to reconnect to your internet. But if you’re sick of people mooching off your connection, this can be a great solution.
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