You’re making a big mistake if you haven’t checked what’s on your wireless network
Think twice before you log on to public Wi-Fi. It’s temping at the coffee shop or airport, but you never know who else is parked on the network. Here’s what to watch out for.
What about when guests come over? Stop giving out your password. Take a few minutes to set up a guest network instead of letting everyone’s smartphones into your primary network.
You should be safer at home if you monitor what’s logged into your network. It’s not as complicated as it sounds and is free.
There’s an app for that
Back in the day, you could only see what was on your network by logging in to your router using a browser. That still works (more on that below), but most wireless providers let you do this via an app now.
Go to your provider’s website to find the official app, add it to your smartphone, then log in with your ISP’s credentials.
They all have slightly different capabilities. For example, the Cox Panoramic Wifi App lets you review and organize devices, change your Wi-Fi name and password, troubleshoot connection issues and more.
Another great feature: You can block internet connection to specific devices from anywhere — whether that’s a strange device you don’t recognize or the kids up late playing video games.
Want to know what your kids are doing online? Here’s how.
Use your router’s online interface
If there’s no app or you don’t want to bother, this simple way shows who and what is using your network. Log into your router to see the most up-to-date information about which devices are connected. Most models will support this as it’s a universal feature.
- First, you’ll need your computer’s IP address. This is how to find it.
- Once you have it, type the IP address into your browser’s address bar. You can then log in with your router’s custom username and password — or the default information if you never set one.
- Once you’re in, check for a list that says DHCP Client or Connected Devices. From there, you’ll see a list of devices currently using your network.
Easy way to see if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi
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All the best free utility programs for Windows in one place
There are countless applications out there you can download, so it’s easy to miss out on useful programs. Many free apps can and would make your computing life easier if you only knew about them. Luckily, we’ve got a solution to this problem. This site is a one-stop-shop for useful, free Windows utility programs and we’ve gone ahead and found a bunch of must-have apps on the site!