Find Who is Stealing Your Wi-Fi and What You Can Do to Block Them?

Have you noticed a sudden dip in your monthly data? Is your high-speed broadband connection Wi-Fi suspiciously slow? 

If the answer to both the questions is yes, then your Wi-Fi connection is likely to be compromised. By compromised, we mean that someone in your neighbourhood is illegally siphoning off your internet. 

While you may think that you have unlimited data so it is okay as after all “sharing is caring” right? But this can have serious consequences. Not only will your data pack empty faster and your speeds will become slow, but you expose yourself to a grave security breach. The Wi-Fi thieves can infect your connection with malware, steal sensitive data like bank passwords, and access confidential work documents.  

So how to resolve this issue? The first thing you need to do is identify who and how many people are stealing from your broadband connection Wi-Fi. Follow the steps below to do so.

Identify the Suckers!

It is not necessary that everyone stealing from your Wi-Fi is doing so with wrong intentions, but why take the risk! There are some simple ways where you can find and identify unwanted guests.

1. Check your Router: Every router will have different settings, but you can check the number of devices connected to the router. For instance, if you have a TP-Link router, then you find this information in the DHCP client list. In other routers, you will find this information in a tab called device list. Then you have to manually check and identify any unknown devices on the network. This can be time-consuming, but worth it. Once you find the intruder(s) make use of the delete/block option to get remove them from the network.
2. Check with an App: Applications like Who Is On My WiFi can also help you find the intruders. The application will show you a full list of devices connected to your Wi-Fi from which you can scout and isolate the unknown ones. The apps are handy as they provide options for you to classify your known devices so that it is easier to check the next time.

These steps will let you find and block post such an incident happens. However, to prevent such accidents from occurring again, you need to ask what made your Wi-Fi vulnerable to such an attack. After you know the cause, you can apply the appropriate patch to stop the piggybacking once and for all. 

Tips to Put an End to Piggybacking

1. Change your Wi-Fi Username and Password: When you put your name as your Wi-Fi username and your phone number as your password, anyone with the same can identify and connect to your network. So the easiest way to block stealing parties is by naming your Wi-Fi connection with an unfamiliar name and having an excellent password with different characters. You might mock connections with creative names like Virus Inside or Connect At Your Own Risk, but these are likely to be more secure than a Varun, Sheila or worse B-136. 
2. Choose the Right Password Type: If you find that your password type is Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP, shift it to Wi-Fi Protected Access II or WPA2. These are different types of security programmes designed to secure wireless connections. WEP is an outdated security protocol that makes it very easy for someone to crack your password.
3. Keep WPS Off: You need to turn the WPS or Wi-Fi Protection Setup off as this too makes your Wi-Fi connection prone to hacking. 
4. Hide Your Username: Another tip to protect your network is by hiding your username or SSID. This will ensure that your username is no longer visible to your neighbours, which reduced the chance of it being piggybacked on. 

Also  Read: Modem vs. Router Know The Pros And Cons

Now are you ready…

… to boot the Wi-Fi thieves out? After finding the intruders, make sure to follow the above-mentioned lock down tips to secure your broadband connection Wi-Fi. You can speak to your internet service provider (ISP) to check whether they offer any add-on features such as security shields. These are designed to prevent intrusions and secure the network. No matter what patch, you are adopting, stay vigilant, regularly check for Wi-Fi stealers, and block them.