Summary
Are you worried that there might be another person using your wifi network? Fortunately, there’s an easy way to see every device that has connected. Here’s how to access that list from your router.
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Does your internet seem to slow down at times for no apparent reason? Have you given out your Wi-Fi password to someone else and you’re concerned they might still be using your internet? If you want to find out if someone else is on your network using your internet connection, here’s how you can check.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
To check for connected devices, you’ll need to go to your router’s control panel. The exact process for getting to the control panel will vary depending on what type of router you have. If you haven’t done it before, you’ll need to get out the router’s manual or find a copy of it online. The manual will contain all the information you need to access the control panel.
Typically, you enter an address into your web browser and then enter a username and password to access the control panel. Once you’re there, you’ll have to click through the various tabs and links until you find the list of connected devices. On my router, it was under the option “Wireless Devices.” However, the exact wording will again vary by the model.
You’ll probably be surprised by the number of connections. Remember to count security devices like your video doorbells, phones, tablets, computers, streaming devices, smart TVs, and everything else that you connect to the internet. But if you see a device that you don’t recognize, give it the boot. If it is a device of yours that you forgot about, you’ll be able to reconnect it to the Wi-Fi later.
And finally, if you do find you have someone using your Wi-Fi, change the password. If you don’t change it, the person could add their device back to your network once they discover that you’ve removed them.