Is your home WiFi sluggish? If you suspect someone is stealing your WiFi, here\u2019s how you can detect and block unknown devices to ensure your home network is fully secure, according to cybersecurity firm, Trend Micro.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Friday night. You\u2019ve just finished a long week working from home. You decide to kick back on the couch and start binge-watching the latest Netflix series. After grabbing a couple of snacks and some drinks, you\u2019re settled in and cosy.<\/p>\n
You sigh and roll your eyes as the first episode seems destined to never load, stuck in an endless buffering loop. You think back to earlier in the day when you weren\u2019t able to send that email to Julie from accounting. Thinking of it now, you\u2019re internet has been acting up for a while. What gives? You pay for top-tier speeds, but you\u2019re certainly not getting them.<\/p>\n
Is there a neighbour stealing your Wifi?<\/p>\n
A double-edged sword<\/strong><\/p>\n Pretty much all of us have WiFi in our homes, and many of us probably use WiFi extenders to increase our network\u2019s range, notes Trend Micro.<\/p>\n On one hand, it\u2019s great \u2014 you can access the internet from any of your devices, from anywhere in your home. On the other hand, it\u2019s not so great \u2014 if your WiFi network is unsecured, your neighbours or those nearby can access it, too. When they\u2019re sharing your connection, your speeds are going to be considerably slower.<\/p>\n What\u2019s much worse, is that if your network isn\u2019t secured, your data could be hacked. Your shared folders can be accessed and your personal information can be stolen. This could mean usernames, passwords, financial information, medical records, anything stored on your devices is at risk.<\/p>\n How to check who is connected to my WiFi<\/strong><\/p>\n Trend Micro identified two ways you can see who is using your internet connection. The first is fairly complicated for most, so if you\u2019re not too tech-savvy, consider skipping to the second option.<\/p>\n 1. Check your router\u2019s web-based admin control panel \u2014 a little bit challenging<\/strong><\/p>\n There are far too many router manufacturers to be able to make a detailed guide for them all, but the instructions below will be similar across the board:<\/p>\n 2. HouseCall for Home Networks \u2014 the easier option<\/strong><\/p>\n Trend Micro\u2019s completely free utility, HouseCall for Home Networks, lets you scan your home network and connected devices using your computer or mobile device so you can see exactly who is connected.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n If you see any suspicious devices or any devices that you don\u2019t recognize, it\u2019s a good idea to take action. Unknown devices detected? Here\u2019s how to remove suspicious devices from your Wi-Fi router<\/p>\n This article features on Trend Micro, and can be found here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
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