How to See Who's On Your Wi-Fi
Is your internet sluggish? If you suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, here's how to identify devices using your connection and boot them off.
Is your internet moving a little slower than usual? Are you seeing hints of devices you don't recognize in File Explorer, or when you cast media to your TV? If you suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, you have a problem.
You may ask why it's a problem if someone is watching Netflix on your internet, but the issues are obvious. It's possible you won't have enough bandwidth for all your streaming and there's, and if they are illegally downloading movies, the ISP will blame you!
Even if you have the bandwidth to spare, you don't want a neighbor access your network, and all the computers on that network. They could access files you are unknowingly sharing, infect you with malware, or even steal your passwords and other personal information.
In order to avoid all this, you should take care to make sure each device connected to your network is one you trust. Thankfully, there are free tools that will help you see everyone on your Wi-Fi right now. Here is how to check for freeloaders, and boot them off.
Windows users can download a free, portable program called Wireless Network Watcher. Scroll down to the Feedback section, then click Download Wireless Network Watcher (In Zip file) to install the program. It will provide a list of every device currently connected to your network, so you can identify the ones that belong to you.
To use Wireless Network Watcher, just launch the program, and it will immediately begin scanning your network. This will take a minute or two—you will know it's working if the bottom-left corner reads "Scanning..." Once it's done, that message will disappear, and you are presented with a full list of connected devices.
The resulting list may look a little cryptic, especially if you are not super tech-savvy, but don't worry. You can ignore the IP address and MAC address listings for now. With Wireless Network Watcher, just focus on the Device Name and Network Adapter Company columns.
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You may ask why it's a problem if someone is watching Netflix on your internet, but the issues are obvious. It's possible you won't have enough bandwidth for all your streaming and there's, and if they are illegally downloading movies, the ISP will blame you!
Even if you have the bandwidth to spare, you don't want a neighbor access your network, and all the computers on that network. They could access files you are unknowingly sharing, infect you with malware, or even steal your passwords and other personal information.
In order to avoid all this, you should take care to make sure each device connected to your network is one you trust. Thankfully, there are free tools that will help you see everyone on your Wi-Fi right now. Here is how to check for freeloaders, and boot them off.
Windows users can download a free, portable program called Wireless Network Watcher. Scroll down to the Feedback section, then click Download Wireless Network Watcher (In Zip file) to install the program. It will provide a list of every device currently connected to your network, so you can identify the ones that belong to you.
To use Wireless Network Watcher, just launch the program, and it will immediately begin scanning your network. This will take a minute or two—you will know it's working if the bottom-left corner reads "Scanning..." Once it's done, that message will disappear, and you are presented with a full list of connected devices.
The resulting list may look a little cryptic, especially if you are not super tech-savvy, but don't worry. You can ignore the IP address and MAC address listings for now. With Wireless Network Watcher, just focus on the Device Name and Network Adapter Company columns.
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more details of each function and configuration please go to How to Unblock Devices from Wifi
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