Who is Stealing Your Wi-Fi?

Who is Stealing Your Wi-Fi?

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Do you have the feeling that someone is using your wireless internet connection? Maybe you are experiencing slow download speeds or the devices you use disconnect from the network over and over again. Additionally, when someone connects to your network he or she can have access to your private folders so practically all your private data is at risk of being stolen. Fortunately, it is not that difficult to check if someone is using your Wi-Fi without your permission.

What are the signs of unauthorized usage?

If there is anyone who uses your internet connection there will be some sighs that can confirm your suspicion. Here are a few.

• Your internet connection is quite slow.
• You are breaking the monthly bandwidth limit every month although you know you haven’t downloaded anything large
• There are some changes in the shared folder
• According to the router log there are other PCs in your network

The reasons Why People Want Your Bandwidth

The reasons for this behavior are nothing special. Here are a few.

• Not all people have Internet access
• Maybe they want to download something over they bandwidth limit
• They want to download movies and music via torrent
• Maybe they want to access your probated data

Of course there are many other reasons for this but we believe this is enough.

See Who’s Connected to Your Network

If you have doubts that someone is using your wireless internet, it is good to learn how to check if this is true. The risks you are exposed to can lead to loss of personal data or your computer getting hacked. It is also good to be aware that the person using your internet without your consent is maybe doing something illegal so the track will certainly lead to you if the authorities get involved.
It would be a real nightmare to prove that you haven’t done anything illegal. So, it’s time to learn how to check who’s connected to your Wi-Fi. Generally, the process is very similar depending on the router brand and model so please pay close attention.

Here are the steps you should follow to find who is stealing your bandwidth.

Use the Router’s Settings Page

Checking the router’s settings page is probably the best way to do this. Since all these devices connect to your router, the data about these devices is stored in the router itself. The list of these devices is available in most router models, but there are some that don’t have this option.

To gain access to the router’s settings page you will have to enter the router’s default IP address in the browser’s URL bar. If you are not sure what is the exact router IP address feel free to start the Control Panel and type IPCONFIG. You will see the IP next to the Default Gateway. In most cases this IP will be either 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 so you can try these first without launching the Command prompt. When you enter the correct IP address you will be asked to enter the default username and password. If the login window doesn’t appear, check the user’s manual.

Pay Attention to the Router’sLED Lights

The LED lights on the router indicate internet activity, wired or wireless.A proven way to see whether someone is stealing your bandwidth is to turn off all your devices connected to the internet and check whether the internet connectivity lights blink. However, the possible problem is that you can easily forget to turn off your TV or game console. By checking the LED lights you will be sure that someone is using your wireless internet if the lights are blinking. That’s all the info you can get. This method is not that complicated and can be easily applied, so give it a try.

Look at the Connected Devices

Now, there is one other thing to do. The router’s settings page can show you which devices are connected to your network. To check this, login to your router first and search for things like

• DHCP clients
• Connected devices
• Attached Devices

This option is almost certainly there, you just have to look for it. So, try checking the status or configuration page. There are wireless routers which will have this list on the status page.


Simply said, this is it. The methods described above can be easily applied if you want to know who is using your internet connection. However, it is not enough just to know who is connected. Yu also have to learn how to prevent this from happening in the first place. Having a secure and protected wireless network will help you do your everyday job without the fear of someone getting access to your private data and sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers and so on.


Author's Bio:
Hello, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Masha Winget and I love writing tech related how-to guides and tutorials. If you have a computer problem, I am the right person to write about it and offer a solution.If you want to read more about the IP address 192.168.1.1 visit my blog at 192168ll.net