Stop Wi-Fi sharing: How to fix your router right now

January 13, 2026

By Kim Komando

OK, here’s something wild that you might not know. Your Wi-Fi router isn’t sitting there twiddling its antennas while connecting your phone to Netflix. 

It’s actively scanning everything around it, collecting data on everyone and everything nearby. Even people who aren’t on your network.

I know, creepy, right?

📍 Amazon’s neighborhood network

Unless you manually turn it off, your Echo and Ring devices share a slice of your internet with other Amazon gadgets up to half a mile away through Amazon Sidewalk.

Yep, your friendly neighbors, and even that guy who lets his dog crap on your lawn, get a piece of the line you pay for. If your neighbor’s Ring loses Wi-Fi, it hops onto YOUR Echo to upload footage. You’re running free surveillance infrastructure for Amazon, and you never agreed to it.

Here’s how to shut it down: 

• For Alexa: Open your Alexa app > More (three lines) > Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk > toggle “Enabled” Off. 
• For Ring: Ring app > Menu (three lines) > Control Center > Amazon Sidewalk > Off. Do this today.

Genius on Amazon. They get neighborhood networks for free. But we’re smarter than that.

👣 Your router tracks everything

Every phone and laptop broadcasts a MAC (media access control) address, a digital fingerprint. Your router picks up these signals from every device nearby. 

Mesh systems like Eero and Google Nest build profiles of who is near your house and when, then send that data back to the mother ship.

😱 Your public hotspot for strangers

Renting a router from Xfinity, Spectrum or Cox? Bad news: You’re paying the power bill for a public Wi-Fi hotspot that isn’t for you. Without asking, ISPs broadcast a second, hidden signal (like xfinitywifi) from your equipment, so strangers can hop on.

The ISPs claim the traffic is separate, but you’re still subsidizing their national network with your electricity. Plus, it creates signal noise that can slow your own speeds and gives hackers a reason to linger outside your house.

Fix it: Log into your ISP account, find Manage Internet or Advanced Settings, look for Public Wi-Fi Hotspot and toggle it Off.

It takes 60 seconds, and it’s a massive win for your privacy.

🛠️ What to do right now

First, stop renting equipment. Buy your own modem & router combo (17% off, $250). You’ll save money monthly and won’t be a free hotspot for the block.

Second, log into your router (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and disable anything labeled analytics, telemetry or motion sensing.

Router companies figured out they’re sitting on incredibly valuable data about your life. They’re selling it. But you can take back control in minutes.

Hit share. Protect your people. Help everyone take back their privacy in under 10 minutes. Use the icons below. Or forward this newsletter to that one person who likes conspiracy theories because this is a true one.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.