There are many reasons why your Wi-Fi internet connection slows down. Most of them are related to random and temporary problems. However, there are risks that someone connected and pulls the Internet from the network without permission. This material will tell you how to identify the fact of theft of the Internet and block the thief forever.
Low-tech way to know if someone is using Wi-Fi
There is a way that allows you to figure out that someone is stealing Wi-Fi. You don’t need to use high technology for this. Most routers have an LED or several that blink and thereby indicate its activity. All you need to do is disconnect all your own devices from the Internet. The network should not be loaded: smart TVs, smartphones, computers, game consoles and other devices that work with the Internet.
The next step is to observe the behavior of the LEDs. If they still continue to blink actively, as if someone is using the network, then Wi-Fi is really being stolen. If the result is negative, it is worth repeating the procedure several times. It is possible that at the moment none of the “thieves” is using the Internet, they are simply not at home.
When turning off all your personal devices seems like a hassle, there is a different path to follow.
High-tech method to recognize Wi-Fi theft
To find out who still uses personal Wi-Fi, you first need to check the availability of a connection to your own network on your smartphone and install a suitable program. In the Play Store, there is a target application for network analysis – Fing, which is also available for Android, and for iOS…
As soon as the software is installed on the phone, you need to open it. The main menu will display the name of the connected network and a couple of buttons – “Refresh” and “Settings”. To see the entire list of devices with an active connection to the Wi-Fi network, you should tap the “Refresh” item. The search process takes several minutes, but the service will show complete and up-to-date information. The identifier of the device type will be displayed next to it: smartphone, computer or other item.
After touching on any of the specified devices, a list of options for controlling it will be displayed. Among other tools, there is the ability to ping, wake up through local signals. Extremely useful data – the ability to learn about the connection and disconnection of the device from the network.
How to block unwanted devices?
If one or more of the found devices are unfamiliar or suspicious, you can block them permanently. Fing displays the MAC address of the device, which is unique. It is an identifier of numbers, symbols and has the format “xx: xx: xx: xx: xx: xx”. This address must be saved.
Algorithm of actions for blocking:
- On a PC that is connected to the router, open a browser and enter the IP address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. There are other options that are always displayed on a sticker on the bottom of the router.
- Enter your login and password from the network.
- Immediately after authorization go to the “Security” section. Its location and name may differ, usually found in the main menu or in the “Advanced options” tab.
- In the target section, click on the MAC Filtering tool and paste the previously saved address. Specify a name for the rule and click on the “Apply” option.
It is recommended not to limit yourself to this manipulation and change the Wi-Fi password to a more secure one. This is because another user can still connect to the network from another device.