If you are experiencing low-speed internet on your WiFi
Network then there is a possibility that someone is stealing it. Here’s our
how-to guide to find-out if someone is stealing your WiFi and how to stop them.
Wireless routers have indicator lights that blinks if there
is any wireless activity(s) happening with the router. So one way to find out
if anyone is using your WiFi is to shut down all wireless devices and see if
lights are still blinking. The problem with this is that you may forget to
switch off other WiFi devices like gaming consoles or smartphones, therefore,
this technique doesn’t give you correct information.
Network Admin Method: Check Your Router Device List
If the 1st method doesn’t work, then router’s admin console
can help you find more about your wireless network activity. To log into admin
panel of your router you have to find the router’s IP address. You can find
your IP address:
On Windows:
Type ipconfig in windows command prompt.
On Mac:
Open Network Preference pane, you can see the IP
address listed next to “Router”.
Type the IP address in browser window. You’ll be prompted to
login to you router. Enter login and password (usually written on router documentation)
to login. Now, the first thing you must do is to change the password of
router’s admin panel.
After that look for a “Connected Devices” section which
provides a list of Device names, IP & MAC addresses. Compare those
addresses with your device’s address. If the address doesn’t match then it
means an unauthorized device is using your WiFi.
What to do if you find an Unauthorized Device?
As mentioned above, changing your password will prevent
other users to use your network unless they provide a new security key(which
matches yours). The IP & MAC addresses are not enough to find the location
of stealers. If you want more information about them try the detective method.
Detective Method: Use a Network Monitoring Software Tool
A software called MoocherHunter can be used to locate
wireless hackers from traffic they send onto the network. This tool is also
used by law enforcement agencies in Asia to
track WiFi hackers.
Note: We are not in favour of using this tool as you may end
up having a physical confrontation with your neighbor.
Moving Forward: Increase Your Wi-Fi Security
The last step is to increase your wireless network’s
security. If you are using WPA2 or WPA you are pretty much secure. If your
connection isn’t encrypted or if you’re using WEP - which is very easy to
crack - your Wi-Fi is fairly vulnerable to anyone looking for a free ride. If you
are not sure which encryption type you are using, go to wireless connection
properties and see there.
Things To Remember
You should always use WPA/WPA2 encryption to tackle WiFi
hacking. For gaming consoles like Nintendo or other devices(which doesn’t run
on WPA) the best way is to have a separate open or WEP encrypted network.
Source : http://www.gizmocrazed.com
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