There are sure to be plenty of people who are smart enough to steal your Wi-Fi. If so, don’t worry, you can learn to identify and manage the devices connected to your network effectively so that this doesn’t happen again.The Internet is already an essential part of our daily lives, whether for work, studies or entertainment, and for some time now it has become common in any home. This is where WiFi connectivity comes in , which is responsible for distributing that network to the members of a specific area.
Fortunately, there are effective methods to detect and control connected devices . Knowing who is accessing without authorization is the first step to ensuring the security of the connection and in this article you will find all the information you need to achieve this.
How to know who is connected to your WiFi with the router’s administration interface.
Most modern routers have a web-based administration interface to view all network parameters. It usually displays data such as IP address , device name, and MAC address .
Although this is not a detailed analysis, it is an easy and valid way to find out which devices are connected. However, the process varies depending on the brand or model you have, so it is a matter of accessing the official website of your router and following the administrator configuration steps.
Typically, you can access these types of sites with your router’s IP address , which you can find by running Command Prompt from the start bar. Just type ” cmd “ and then hit Enter . In the console, you need to type the command ” ipconfig /all “ , press Enter and copy the IP address that appears in the Default Gateway section .
This should help you find the IP you need, although most often it is 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1 . That is exactly what you should put in your web browser to go to the router interface, as long as you are connected to the corresponding network.
In this case, what you see in the image is the explanation through the Linksys device management . The idea is that you link your router to the interface with the PIN or the compatibility button and access the Wireless MAC Filter section . Here you have to activate this option and check the Prevent PCs Listed From Accessing the Wireless box .
Then you just have to use the filter to display the list of all the devices connected to the WiFi. If your goal is to block them, select them and save the changes. Once this is done, they will go to a prevention list that you should also save so that they can no longer connect.
Remember that the process is very similar for other models, you just have to go to the official website of your router and follow the steps. Sometimes, the router itself comes with a manual to perform this type of action.
How to know which devices are connected to your WiFi network with third-party apps
There are various applications, both for mobile devices and computers, that allow you to scan the Wi-Fi network and detect connected devices. These usually offer more detailed information than the router’s interface, including the type of device, the name of the manufacturer and, in some cases, the name of the user.
Most of them are paid and have their own instructions for accessing this data. Some of the most popular ones are mSpy , uMobix , Spynger and Clevguard . However, you can also perform the process for free from Wireless Network Watcher on Windows.
The program in question was created primarily to detect all the devices within your WiFi in a very effective way. Below are the steps to carry out the installation and how you should use it:
- Here you have three options, you can download the installer or opt for the compressed files for 32-bit or 64-bit PC.
- If you want to skip the installation process, the last options are the most straightforward because the program is ready to use once you download it. You will need a data compression program, though, the most popular of which is Winrar .
- To continue, unzip the file you downloaded by right-clicking on it and clicking Extract Here .
- Run the WNetWatcher.exe file as Administrator to start the program and wait for it to scan the devices that are connected to your network.
- If it doesn’t do it automatically, press the Play button located in the upper left corner to start the process.
- Connection prompts will appear at the bottom of the device icon. The green Check icon means the device is connected, while the red X means it is not connected, but it has been connected at some point or frequently.
- This way, you can see the exact name or model of the devices. Here you would have to select the ones you want to delete from the network, go to the File section and press Delete Selected Items .
That’s it, that’s all you need to do to get rid of any intruders who have sneaked into your network with Wireless Network Watcher.
Find out who is on your WiFi without apps
There is a way to do this whole procedure without having to use the interface or an application. However, you have to follow the steps carefully to avoid problems , since you have to use other codes in the Command Prompt .
The good thing about this method is that it works for both Windows and MacOS . It only changes the way the console is run because it is done differently in the respective operating systems.
To be more specific, if you have a Windows PC, you just have to type ” cmd “ in the start search box and hit Enter . As for Mac, click on the magnifying glass icon located in the upper right corner, search for “Terminal” and launch the console. Now that you know this, you just have to follow the steps below:
- Type the code ” arp -a” in the command console and press Enter .
-
- Immediately, you will see a list of all the devices that are on the network. You need to look for those that start with the same numbers as your router’s IP. In this case, it would be 192.168 for the devices that are connected.
The disadvantage of this method is that it does not allow you to remove devices from the list , it only lets you view the number of devices that are connected.These are the three easy and free methods to find anyone who is stealing your WiFi. Being strict with this is very important to avoid connection slowdowns and increased data consumption.