Tap or click here to see how to secure your Wi-Fi against intruders. Encrypting your Wi-Fi network will usually be enough to keep intruders out. For the record, I don’t recommend doing that.įortunately, it doesn’t matter. Well, not unless you want to barge into your neighbors’ houses to check their gadgets’ names and MAC addresses.
How to secure your Wi-FiĮven if you spot a rogue connection, however, you won’t be able to tell who is connected. The culprit might only be using your internet infrequently. You might need to check back a few times if the internet slowdown is random. When you find a gadget connected to the network that doesn’t belong to you, you know you have a culprit.
If you can’t make heads or tails of the list, simply turn off each gadget one by one - or just disable the gadget’s Wi-Fi to figure out what is what. Your tablet or smartphone should have the manufacturer name in there somewhere. Your computer should show up in the list using its name, for example. Once you have the list of connected gadgets, identify the ones that belong to you. You can quickly fire it up whenever you want to check or just leave it open. This free program gives you a list of gadgets connected to your Wi-Fi network. If you want an easier solution, you can grab the aptly named Wireless Network Watcher. If you can’t find your manual, download a digital copy here. If you need help, check your router’s manual for instructions on logging in. Log in to your router and check the section that shows what gadgets are connected to it.