Is your internet a little slow? Do videos on YouTube take too long to buffer? Do movies on Netflix show up in a lower resolution than expected? We’ve got some bad news for you — one of your neighbors might be stealing your Wi-Fi. While you might not mind if one of your neighbors is taking a little revenge on one of the country’s most hated companies — ahem, Comcast — allowing unauthorized devices to use your internet isn’t a good idea, especially given the havoc it can wreak on your connection speeds and your peace of mind. After all, nobody wants to leave themselves susceptible to outside intruders if they can help it.
The Risks
The biggest detriment to Wi-Fi theft is that it can slow down your connection. There’s only a certain amount of bandwidth to go around and if yours is already divided up between a few computers, a smart TV, and a couple of phones, there’s a good chance that you’ll start seeing slower speeds when an internet freeloader streams a high-definition video. Many service providers have also started putting data caps on home internet usage, too, and if one of your neighbors uses your internet for data intensive activities, you could see additional charges on your monthly bill.
In addition to slow connection speeds, an unsecured wireless router also opens you up to security risks. While your neighbor might only be looking for a free place to check their email, an unsecured router can be used to gleam data from the web sites you visit, access other devices on your network, or infect your computer with a virus. They can also use your internet connection to perform illegal activities. If that happens, guess whose door the authorities will knock on when they try to track your neighbor down? Yours.
Determining if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi
If you suspect that someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, you need to log in to your router’s administration page. Most people can do this by typing “192.168.1.1” or “192.168.2.1” into the address bar in your browser. If these don’t work, swing on over to our guide for accessing your router’s admin panel.
Once you’ve accessed the admin page, you’ll need to locate the page listing the various Media Access Control (MAC) addresses connected to your computer. The location of this page will differ depending on your router, but you may find it under “wireless configuration,” “wireless status,” or in the “DHCP client” list. You can use this list to count how many devices are connected to your internet. If you see six MAC addresses — any device connected to your network will have its own unique MAC address — but only have four devices in your home, somebody is probably stealing your internet.
Lock it down
If you suspect someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, it’s a good idea to beef up security. If you don’t have a password on your network, add one. If you still use the default router name and password, change it. You can do this from the admin page on your router. To change your password, look for the PSK or Pre Shared Key in your security settings. Changing your wireless password will kick off all current devices (including those unwanted freeloaders), so you’ll have to reconnect your devices once you have a new password.
To change your router name, locate the Service Set identifier (SSID). This is typically found in the wireless settings menu.
Lastly, it’s important to use the strongest wireless network encryption available for consumers, which is currently WPA2. If you’re router was manufactured prior to 2006, it may not be compatible with WPA2 encryption. If that’s the case, you may want to think about getting a new router. Thankfully, we have a few suggestions. […]
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