How to determine if it is connected to a router. How to find out who is connected to my WiFi router

Question from a user

Good day.

Tell me, how can I find out who is connected to my Wi-Fi network? Is it possible for someone other than me to be connected to it? (neighbors, for example). The speed just inexplicably drops every evening (I can’t even watch YouTube without lags), I don’t know what to do...

PS called the provider - they say that everything is fine with the network.

Good day!

Anything, of course, can happen, but more often than not, Internet slowdowns and lags are not due to the fact that a neighbor has connected to you and is pumping your traffic, but to more mundane things: the poor quality of the provider’s network (it’s just that everyone comes home from work in the evening and hangs up "channel - there are not enough resources), software errors and glitches in your OS, etc.

Now about how to see which devices and computers are using your router...

Option No. 1: using the router’s web interface

The easiest and most informative way to find out which devices are connected to the Wi-Fi network is to look at the router settings (web interface). Almost every modern router (in 99% of cases) has a tab in the settings that shows all active devices.

To help! How to enter the router settings (instructions) -

Most often, to enter the router settings, just enter IP 192.168.0.1 (or 192.168.1.1, 192.168.10.1) into the address bar of the browser. "admin" is used as the password and login.

For example, in my Tenda router there is a “Status” tab that opens by default (immediately when you go into the settings). In it you can find out the number of connected devices, the overall download and upload speed (see screenshot below).

Note: Depending on the router model and firmware version, your menu and settings sections may differ slightly. As a rule, you need to find the "Status" tab.

Connected devices (Tenda router) / Clickable

For detailed information about connected devices, you need to go to the “Bandwidth Control” tab: pay attention to the name of the devices and their activity.

Bandwidth control (Tenda router) / Clickable

If we talk about models of other routers, then, for example, in TP-Link routers you can see a similar tab in the “Wireless mode/wireless mode statistics” section. It is shown next to each device (you can immediately find out which device is the “neighbor”).

Another example below: in the English version of the firmware (D-Link router), you need to open the "Status/Wireless" tab (in Russian "Status/wireless connection") .

In general, it is almost impossible to provide screenshots of all router models and firmware in one article. But fortunately, almost all models have an identical menu (you can also use the technical instructions for your device).

Important!

If you notice that you have more computers (devices) connected to your router than you connected to it yourself, be sure to change the security settings.

Set a new password, make sure you are using WPA2 with AES encryption, enable MAC address locking, and disable WPS. All this is quite easy to do in the router’s web interface.

Instructions for setting up routers:

Option No. 2: using special. programs

If you are unable to open the router settings (this also happens), then you can see who is connected using programs. True, in this case you will only be able to find out about the “extra user”... But in order to change the password or disconnect the “unnecessary” user from the network, you will still have to go to the web interface of the Wi-Fi router and change the settings...

Wireless Network Watcher [for Windows]

Note: Windows application

Wireless Network Watcher - main window after scanning the network / Clickable

Free and portable (no installation required) utility for quickly scanning Wi-Fi networks. After launching, it will automatically “run through” the entire network and show all active devices (their MAC addresses, IP addresses, names, adapter name, etc. information).

By the way, the resulting list can be sent to a text file, HTML, XML, CSV and printed. It’s very convenient to then go through all your devices and do a mini-inspection to see if its MAC address matches...

Wi-Fi Monitor [for Android]

Note: Android app

A simple and convenient application for monitoring Wi-Fi networks from a smartphone or tablet. To see all active this moment devices on the network - go to the "Scanning" tab and click the button of the same name at the bottom of the window. After 10-30 seconds. the network will be scanned and you will see a list of devices. Easy and fast?!

By the way, Wi-Fi Monitor also has handy features: you can see the reception speed, upload speed, channels (which are occupied by you, which are occupied by your neighbors), find out the signal level and other necessary information.

I hope the situation has been clarified?!

WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols, which are used to secure wireless networks, are considered extremely secure. More recently, such protection gave 100% confidence in the security of your Wi-Fi, provided that you use sufficiently strong passwords. But new equipment and modern technologies They are gradually cracking this protection.

For example, using powerful graphics adapters to brute-force passwords allows you to select even complex keys in a fraction of the time. real time. For those who cannot afford a $500 GPU, there are special hacking services where they can hack any password for you for a very modest amount. So, if you can no longer vouch for the integrity of your network, then how do you know that it has been hacked and the villains are already inside? Two small utilities will help you with this.

This is a small utility from Nirsoft that scans wireless networks and displays a list of all computers and devices that are currently connected to the network. For each computer or device connected to the network, the IP address, MAC address, name, and possibly the name of the computer are displayed.

You can also export the list of connected devices in HTML/XML/CSV format or copy the list to the clipboard.

Wireless Network Watcher can periodically scan your network in the background. If new devices are detected, the program will alert the user with a sound signal.

SoftPerfect Wi-Fi Guard

This is another free app that scans your Wi-Fi network for new connected devices.

If an unfamiliar device is found, the program warns the user that an intruder has been detected. If the device is known to you, then you can add it to the white list. The program will no longer pay attention to it.

Modern wireless networks are encrypted by two protocols - WPA and WPA2, which are considered extremely reliable. Therefore, it is enough to come up with a stronger password than “11111111”, “qwerty123” and the like to be sure that no one will intrude on the active network.

However, hackers are not asleep, so today there are already methods for breaking this protection. For example, special sites that will help you crack any password for a certain amount. Therefore, every Wi-Fi user can become a victim of attackers. So, the question on the agenda is: how to find out who has connected to a Wi-Fi network?

Owners of unlimited tariffs can worry least of all, since they do not lose absolutely anything if someone decides to download a “heavy” file or just surf the Internet using someone else’s Wi-Fi. The owners tariff plans, the cost of which depends on the amount of traffic spent, can go into a huge minus.

But if an attacker connects to someone else’s network to commit actions that are contrary to the laws, then his goal is not just anonymity, but to shift the blame onto another, innocent user. This is where it’s worth thinking about protecting both categories of users.

The company "Atlant - Video" provides various services in Moscow: installation of video surveillance systems, burglar alarm, fire alarms, fire extinguishing systems, etc.. Installed video surveillance at the enterprise will help to avoid troubles, these are the “Prestige” Set, the “Classic” Set. It is also possible to install the Spy Kit. Find out more on the website at http://atlant-video.ru/.

You can understand that someone else is using the Internet at the same time as you by paying attention to wifi speed. As a rule, any speed (opening web pages, downloading and uploading files) decreases and complicates access to all resources.

Some providers provide daily statistics that include the size of incoming and outgoing traffic. If it's very large and you're sure you couldn't use that much of it, then there's a good chance that your Wi-Fi is being used by someone else.

So, you can find out that someone is using your Wi-Fi network in the following ways:

Wireless Network Watcher

A small free program that scans networks and displays a list of connected devices. It helps you find out the IP and MAC addresses, name and name of the PC. The program can run in the background and notify the user with a signal that someone has connected to his network.

SoftPerfect WiFi Guard

An analogue of the first program, which is also free. The operating principle is the same. There is a whitelist. Devices added there will connect to the user's Wi-Fi network, and the program will not notify about this.

Manual check

You can check third-party connections manually - open your browser and enter 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the address bar, enter the requested login and password. You will be taken to the router settings menu. It is worth remembering that the menu for all routers is different, depending on the manufacturer. However, everywhere there is a tab like Wireless (Wireless Settings, etc.). By clicking on it, you can see the item Wireless Statistics (Station List, etc.). By clicking, a list of all devices connected to this network will be displayed.

So, to protect your Wi-Fi after an unauthorized connection, you need:

1. Change password.
2. Set the encryption type. WEP is an outdated and insecure encryption type, so it is best to use the already mentioned WPA and WPA2.
3. Enable the MAC address filter (if available in the router settings). You can set a list of MAC addresses that will have access to the Wi-Fi network, but everyone else will simply not be able to connect.
4. Enable the firewall. This function is not available in all routers, but if it is present, then it would be a sin not to use it.
5. Change SSID (link identifier) ​​and make Wi-Fi invisible. For security purposes, it is best to keep the communication ID name more complex. The invisibility of a Wi-Fi network will further complicate unauthorized access, since only those who know the exact name will be able to connect to the network.

Use these methods to catch resourceful neighbors in time and block their access.

The Internet is an integral part of life modern man: wireless networks are multiplying at an enviable speed, but the number of “freebie” lovers who prefer their neighbor is increasing in proportion to them. At the same time, the rightful owner of an unscheduled “shared” access point only gets into trouble: a drop in traffic, etc.

Therefore, the question “how to find out who is using my wifi” is more than relevant today, and in this article we will tell you how to see how many users are connected to a wifi router.

How to check how many devices are connected to wifi?

To find out whether enterprising neighbors are using your wifi, you first need to determine.

For most modern routers, the factory settings are indicated on the service sticker located on the back panel of the device.

Here, the IP address line contains the combination of numbers xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (in most cases, this is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), which is necessary to access the device settings.

To see how many devices are connected to wifi, in the router control panel, find the section where all active users of your wireless network will be listed.

If you wish, you can delete or ban the Mac address of the selected device here, thereby preventing the thief from further access to your traffic.

Is it possible to find out who is using my wifi without using the router settings?

In addition, you can figure out who is using my wifi using special software designed specifically for monitoring wireless networks.

Such programs can be the “Wireless Network watcher” utility, which can be downloaded for free on the Internet.

After installing the program, it scans your network and shows all computers and mobile gadgets connected to the router.

At the same time, for each device, basic data is indicated (Mac address, device name, manufacturer and device model), with the help of which you can identify illegal WiFi users.

However, you can only ban third-party connections through the router's web interface.

To protect your WiFi network from “intrusions”, it is recommended to install only complex unique ones: it is advisable to use Latin letters of different case and numbers. In addition, you can disable and limit the number of users who can connect to your network.

Nowadays, no one will be surprised by the Internet almost everywhere. One of the technologies that allows this to happen is Wi-Fi. It makes our lives more comfortable and mobile in many ways. It's nice to enjoy the Internet from anywhere. And there are a huge number of gadgets that help us with this - smartphones, tablets, laptops and many others. However, the main advantage of Wi-Fi - its general availability - is also its main disadvantage. And many, knowing this, will not resist the temptation to take advantage of this feature. Agree that when the speed of loading sites or downloading a movie decreases, the thought “Is anyone else using my Internet?” runs through my head, along with versions of a computer virus and problems with the provider. Now we will help you figure out how to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi, and what should be done if your most unpleasant expectations are suddenly confirmed.

Protecting a private WiFi network is the most important moment when creating a homegroup

Everything through the router

The most common way to check for foreign connections does not require much effort from you. Installing any additional software also not required. We will find out all the information that is needed for this using the web interface of your router. To do this, go to any available browser and enter 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in the address bar (depending on the model of installed equipment). Then in the window that appears, enter your username and password (you can find them on back side router or in its technical description). The settings panel for your Internet connection will open in front of you. Here we find something with the words “wireless mode statistics” and in the tab that opens we can see a list of devices that use this wireless connection, find out their MAC addresses and how much data they received and transmitted. We look in the list to see if there are any unnecessary devices. You can recognize yours by the names you gave them or by MAC addresses. We look at them either in the device information (for phones and tablets), or go to “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “ Command line"and by entering the command "ipconfig/all", look in the window that appears (for computers and laptops). Or, as a simpler option, you can initially turn off all devices that use Wi-Fi, and as a result, only the one from which you are searching should appear in the list.

If your worst fears are confirmed and someone else is using your router, you can choose one of the following options:

• prohibit the connection to this device and be sure to change the password, since with just one ban, the “consumer” of your traffic may simply start using another device or change its MAC address;
• add the addresses of all your devices to “allowed” in the router settings (you can see how to get there above). This method is more reliable, but to connect a new device, for example, your friend who came over for a cup of tea, you will need to add his device to your “white” list.

Useful program - Wireless Network Watcher

Another way to identify “illegal” connections is a specially designed program - Wireless Network Watcher. It can be downloaded for free, preferably from the official website. After installation and launch, it will scan the system and show a list of those who use your router. A small drawback of the program is that you can only view a list of connected devices and will not be able to block them. And if such a need arises, you will still have to return to the previous method to block or delete those who like to surf the Internet for free. You should also pay attention to the fact that this program will only help you if the device from which you want to search is connected directly by cable to the router.

Interface of the Wireless Network Watcher program, designed to detect and analyze Wi-Fi networks

A little about precautions

“It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it,” as doctors say. In our situation, this statement is also very applicable. To avoid unpleasant situations when a stranger wants to enjoy the Internet at your expense, you only need to follow a few rules:

• always set a password for your Wi-Fi, preferably a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters and several numbers (options 1111, 1234, qwer and your date of birth are not the best, take my word for it, if you don’t believe me, you can look it up on the Internet), it is also necessary change it periodically for prevention;
• do not use the password and network name that the router will ask you to set by default, be original - come up with your own;
• set the encryption mode in your Wi-Fi connection settings (starting from WAP 2 and higher).

Choose for yourself which of the proposed methods to see who is connected to my Wi-Fi. Both are good and reliable. No one in modern world I am not immune from being hacked, but this is not the worst thing that can happen in life. Monitor your wireless connections, this will help protect not only your traffic, but also your personal files. After all, Wi-Fi was originally created to serve people and bring benefits, not negative emotions.