Have you felt lately like you are being watched online? Maybe it has something to do with your Wi-Fi!
Do you think your Wi-Fi is being stolen? Do you notice that the connection is slower than normal? Although lately we all use the wireless Internet connection from cafes, hotels or libraries, the truth is that the theft of Wi-Fi in homes is the order of the day given the ease with which this exchange can occur.
Noticing that the connection slows down is an indicator that they could be stealing our Wi-Fi, but it is not the only one:
The router light is on and blinking
If we are at home, the easiest way to find out if someone unauthorized is using our connection is by checking the lights on the router. We have to turn off all our wireless devices and, once done, see if the router indicator light is still on. If so, you already know that someone is connected to your Wi-Fi.
Always use your connection
The simplest and most secure way to protect your wireless devices from computer intruders when you’re away from home is to take your own Wi-Fi with you wherever you go, either by adding 4G to your mobile device (creating a mobile network using your home connection and using a VPN on the mobile to be able to browse) or the more traditional way, disconnecting the network completely when we are going to be away from home for a trip or for an indefinite period of time to avoid becoming “easy prey”. Hacked IP address fix can be done with the help of a VPN. Basically it creates a kind of screen to prevent anyone from getting into your real network.
Check IP addresses
Another way to know if our Wi-Fi is stolen is by logging into the router’s administration panel by typing our IP address directly into the browser (address normally present on a label on the router itself). Once connected, check for a section called “connected devices” or “device list” and you will see a list of IP addresses currently using the connection. If you discover an IP address different from yours… someone is accessing your Wi-Fi network.
Network security settings
If you find that they are connecting to your Wi-Fi it is probably because the network security settings are low. To prevent this from happening again, the first thing you have to do is add a new password for the network, but a password that is much more complex than the existing one, to avoid being an easy victim for Wi-Fi thieves. Every time someone tries to access the network, they will have to supply this new password before they can use it. If we want to be even more secure, a tip – although not very comfortable – would be to change this password once a month.
Use IP tracking software
There are many software tools that allow us to monitor our Wi-Fi and quickly discover if they are misusing our connection. One of the most popular is MoocherHunter. It is capable of identifying the location of our “wireless journal” by the traffic it sends through the network. It will also allow us to dissuade them from their behavior if they know we can track them.
Now you know five ways to find out if your Wi-Fi is being stolen. Put them into practice and your internet activities will be much safer. Hopefully this article added valuable insight for you. Thank you for reading and have a good day!
