How To Find The Devices Connected To My Wifi

Is your internet moving a little slower than usual? Are you seeing hints of devices you lot don't recognize in File Explorer, or when y'all bandage media to your TV? If you suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, here'due south how to check (and boot them off).

"And so someone's watching Netflix on my internet," you may say. "What's the big bargain?" Even if y'all have a little bandwidth to spare, you probably don't want other people on your network, especially if it'southward unsecured. If someone has access to your network, they accept access to all the computers on that network, and that'south unsafe. 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.

As a effect, you lot should accept care to make certain each device connected to your network is one yous trust. Thankfully, there are costless tools that volition assistance you run across everyone on your Wi-Fi right at present.

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See Who'southward On Your Network

Windows users can download a free, portable program called Wireless Network Watcher (coil down to the Nil download link below "Feedback" to go it), which will provide a list of every device currently connected to your network, so y'all can identify the ones that belong to you lot.

To use Wireless Network Watcher, just launch the program, and it will immediately begin scanning your network. This volition take a minute or ii—you'll know it'due south working if the bottom-left corner reads "Scanning..." Once information technology's done, that message will disappear, and you'll be presented with a full list of connected devices.

The resulting list may look a little ambiguous, especially if you aren't super tech-savvy, but don't worry. You can ignore the IP address and MAC accost listings for now. If yous're using Wireless Network Watcher, but 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 name of my married woman'due south MacBook. I see another with no proper name, but with "Philips Lighting BV" as the network adapter manufacturer, it'due south probably the hub for my Philips Hue lights. You lot can double-click on a device to add together "User Text" that helps you identify each device and narrow downward all the items in this list.

Mac users don't take every bit many great options—LanScan is a decent pick, though it costs $half dozen for the full functionality. Most other apps are either expensive, or have caveats that make them less than ideal. If yous're on a Mac, your router'south settings page may accept the info you need. Or, if you have an iPhone, you tin give Fing a try.

Consult Your Router Settings

If you lot're lucky, yous'll be able to recognize all the items on that list, but in that location may exist a few that don't accept plenty information. After going through my list, for instance, I was left with a couple devices that listed no proper noun and no manufacturer. However, I was able to get a trivial more information from my router's web interface.

You tin open your router'southward management page by typing its IP address in your browser's address bar. Once in that location, look for an selection that sounds like "Attached Devices" or "Client List." This will present you with a similar list equally Wireless Network Watcher, but the data may be slightly different. Later cross-referencing the unknown devices between the two, I institute ane of them was listed equally "AzureWave Engineering science, Inc" in my router's interface, but non Wireless Network Watcher. A little Googling revealed that this was my Rachio sprinkler system, then I was able to mark that down and movement on.

If you see any other unlabeled devices in the listing, bank check around your house for any internet-connected gadgets you might have missed. I realized that my Amazon Echo wasn't listed, so afterwards checking the Alexa app on my phone, I was able to friction match its MAC address to one of the unlabeled items in Wireless Network Watcher.

If all goes well, y'all should be able to identify every device on your network. If there are any left over, and you've combed your business firm looking for other cyberspace-connected devices and plant nothing, there'due south a chance someone nearby may be using your Wi-Fi.

Beef Up Your Network Security

Even if you find that a neighbour is stealing your Wi-Fi, yous don't need to chase them down and get-go a fuss—you tin can but boot them off with a change in router security. Head back to your router's spider web interface and find the option to change your countersign (usually under the "Wireless" section somewhere). If yous don't have a password, yous absolutely need to start using 1, and information technology needs to exist strong. Without a password, your personal information is up for grabs to whatever amateur hacker that drives by. Cull WPA2 for the password blazon, since information technology's far more than hard to crack than the now-outdated WEP.

If WPS is turned on, you should turn information technology off, since this feature makes it easier for people to crack your Wi-Fi password. If you want to let guests on your Wi-Fi without giving them admission to your devices and information, you can always enable your router'southward guest network, or but share the password wirelessly.

If you already had a password—peradventure information technology was weak and easy for your neighbors to guess—changing it to something new should be sufficient to kick them off. Of course, yous'll also take to re-cosign all of your devices, but y'all should be able to rest a little easier knowing that all the devices on your network vest to yous.

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