How to See Who’s Using Your Wi-Fi

There are two main ways you can check to see who’s using your Wi-Fi. First, you can check by using your computer and going to Google WiFi Help. You can check how much data your device is using from uploading and downloading.

You can also view which devices are connected to your network and how much data each has used in the past 30 days. Google even provides you with details such as IP addresses of all devices connected to your network.

If you see anything other than your mobile device, your laptop, your security cameras, your smart TVs, and so on, you’ll know you have a Wi-Fi thief scooping your Mbps. Of course, in order to identify a suspicious device, you need to be familiar with your personal device names. If they don’t already have distinct names, we recommend setting some up.

The second option is to go through your router’s web interface. This is actually a very reliable way to check because your router is what devices connect to to use your Wi-Fi.

You should be able to access this information by opening your web browser, going to your internet service provider’s website (ISP) and logging in to manage your router. Look for an option that shows connected or attached devices. Another option to access your router’s interface is by using your IP address. Type your IP address into your browser to bring up your router’s interface.

If you keep running into dead-ends by going through your computer or router itself, you should give a network scanner app a try. The Fing App is free and allows you to check which devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network. You can also check internet speeds and troubleshoot your devices this way.

Another good free app is NetSpot. You simply download it to see if there’s any unwanted devices connected to your Wi-Fi network.

Apps like these are a great tool to help you figure out why your Wi-Fi connection drops when you’re not expecting it and whether your Wi-Fi slowdowns are normal. Sometimes Wi-Fi is just running really slowly because there’s a lot of devices connected to the network and a lot of people using your Wi-Fi to begin with.

Make sure you set up a network password for your Wi-Fi if you don’t have one already. It’s important to keep your Wi-Fi network private with a secure password. Stay away from using a password that your neighbors can all easily guess.

You also need a Wi-Fi password for your guest network if you have one! You don’t want to cause problems for your guests’ connected devices.

Whether or not there’s someone using your Wi-Fi, you should check into using a reliable virtual private network (VPN) even when you’re just using your home Wi-Fi. A VPN can increase your internet security by encrypting your data and tunneling it to a server in a private location. This makes it much harder for hackers to steal your information and see which devices are connected to your Wi-Fi. For more information on VPNs, check out this article on what a VPN is and how to use one.

And by the way, even if you secure your Wi-Fi connection, your online activity can make you vulnerable if you don’t take precautions. More and more people share private information online. If you’re curious about how to stay safe while online banking and shopping, educate yourself about internet safety, and check out our tips for protecting yourself online.