Find Out Who’s Connected to Your WiFi Network.
Your router’s lights are blinking, but no one is using it. Or you are not getting internet speed; you paid for. Chances are, your neighbor is using your Wi-Fi without your knowledge. Or let’s just say for some other reason you want to see what devices are connected to my network.
See also: What to do if you forgot your WiFi password
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find out who’s connected to your Wi-Fi network. All you have to do is install a small app on your device, and it will provide a list of the IP and MAC addresses of all devices connected to your network.
So, here are some of the best apps and methods to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
1. Find out who is using WiFi on Windows
There are several Window programs that display a list of devices connected to your network. I suggest using Nirsoft’s Wireless Network Watcher. Like all other applications from Nirsoft, this also weighs a few kilobytes and can be launched directly from an .exe file. No installation required.
First, download Wireless Network Watcher from the Nirsoft official website (scroll down to see the download link). Then open the zip file and run the .exe in it. If you see a warning from your AntiVirus, ignore it. The app is safe.
The app will display all connected devices, as well as their IP and MAC addresses. It also shows the name of the device manufacturer like Motorola, Apple, etc., which will help you better identify the devices as remembering the MAC address is inconvenient.
You can also customize the sound notification. Therefore, when a new device connects to your Wi-Fi, you hear a beep. To do this, go to Options Beep When New Device Connects.
I’ve also tried other popular alternatives like Advance IP scanner and GlassWire, and both are similar to Wireless Network Watcher in their free version. So don’t try them. And if you’re looking for an advanced option, try Angry IP Scanner or Wireshark, but they need good technical knowledge.
2. Find out who is using WiFi on macOS
There is no Mac version of Wireless Network Watcher. And other popular options that are free on Windows (like SoftPerfect WiFi Guard) become paid on the Mac ($ 9). But luckily there is one app.
Who’s on my WiFi is a free utility for MacOS that does exactly what it says, ie Shows a list of all devices connected to your WiFi. The app is available in iTunes and weighs just 1MB.
When you open the app, it will automatically scan your network and give you a list of all connected devices. It also gives you a notification when a new device connects to your Wi-Fi.
But unlike the Windows network watcher, it’s not that good at getting the company name of the devices. So, you have to add the names of your devices manually. That way, the next time you see a new device, you’ll know it’s not yours.
3. Find out who is using WiFi on Android / iOS
There are many Android and iOS apps that can detect who is connected to your Wi-Fi. But the best is Fing. This is a free app available for both Android and iOS.
Like all other apps we’ve seen so far; Fing also shows a list of all connected devices with their IP and MAC addresses. But what sets it apart from the rest is its ability to pinpoint the name of the device and the network card from the manufacturer.
For example, Wireless Network Watcher can only tell the name of the company. So if you connect your iPad to your Macbook, you’ll see Apple. But Fing, on the other hand, can also extract the device name. This way, you can easily identify which devices are yours and which are not. You can also create a free Fing account and track all devices on different Wi-Fi networks.
Fing (Android | iOS)
One thing that Fing is missing, however, is that it doesn’t pop up a notification when a new device connects or leaves the network. But luckily there is one app on Android – WiFi Watch that can do this. You can enable this notification option in settings.
4. The router
Using a router to view a list of connected devices has both advantages and disadvantages. The good news is that you don’t need to install any applications. But the bad thing is that not every user has access to the router, and even if they do, it still requires a few extra clicks, and the whole process is not very convenient on a mobile phone.
If you have dynamic DNS configured on your router, you don’t even need to connect to that network to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi. This means that you are in control of your home network from your office.
To find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi using a router; just log into your router’s control panel by entering the router’s IP address in your browser and then enter your router’s username and password. If you don’t know what this is, ask the person who set up the router. This is usually admin and admin or admin or password. You can also use this default router password database.
Then you will see the “web interface” of the router. Now, since all routers are made by different manufacturers, your router interface may be different from mine. But the essence is always the same. So look for options that say: – DHCP client list, connected devices, wireless, connected devices, etc.
It is usually found in the wireless settings. And there you will see a list of all devices with their IP and MAC addresses.
If you don’t know where to find them, do a quick Google search on the router manual and use CMD + F or CTRL + F to find what you need. I do this all the time.
What to do if someone stole your WiFi?
Although we are taught that sharing care is caring, it is not true when it comes to safety. Anyone who is connected to your local network will have access to files that are shared on the network and can also see your online activities. Don’t forget that they are also using up your precious bandwidth.
So, here are a few things you can do if someone is using your WiFi without your permission.
# 1 Change your WiFi password or enable MAC address filtering. Both options are present in every router.
# 2 In some routers, you may want to reduce the Wi-Fi power so that the signal does not go beyond your home setting.
# 3 Remove unauthorized people from your network. You can do this using the WiFiKill app on Android [Root], or another way to do it by replicating their IP address, or using software to disconnect people from your current WiFi network.
Related: 5 Ways to Kick People Out of Your Wi-Fi Network
# 4 If you are tech savvy, you can also locate them (to within a few meters) with a network analyzer app and then confront them personally. You might need a couple of bodyguards this time though. You never know who you will find.
However, this is not a complete verification method because it is quite easy to spoof a Mac address, and if some hacker steals your Wi-Fi, he probably spoofed his Mac address. So I suggest you check their Mac address to see if it is constantly changing or stays the same. If it changes, chances are they are using software. It is currently better to improve the security of your router by using a strong WiFi password with WPA2 encryption
RELATED: 10 Steps to Protect Your Wi-Fi Network from Hackers
Packaging
So these were some easy ways to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi network. If you suspect that someone is stealing your internet, it is best to run a scan when you have low internet speed or other network problems.
In addition, it is usually difficult to identify devices by their IP and MAC address. One way to fix this is to simply turn off Wi-Fi on each of your devices one at a time to figure out which one is which. And for the future, I suggest you write down the last two digits of their MAC address so you know which one is which.