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How to Stop Hackers from Stealing Your WiFi?
Posted by SGCS admin, 24-08-2018
Do you feel that your WiFi is not delivering the speed you paid for? Well, it may be because someone is stealing your internet speed. But, if you are paying for the internet connection, then you should be the sole person to decide who gets to use the WiFi and who not. Right?
You would not like any unauthorized devices using your WiFi because it slows the speed and also has some security issues associated with it. But, from now on, it will not happen. In this story, I will tell you how to detect if someone is stealing your WiFi and how to protect your network. So, have a look!
Check your WiFi router's lights.
The indicator lights on the WiFi router tells you about internet connectivity, wireless activities, and hardware connection. So to find out if someone's using your connection, you will have to shut down all the devices connected to your network, and if the wireless light continues blinking, then it means that someone is using your internet connection.
Checking the devices registered on network.
Another method to detect intruders is by checking the devices associated with your router. To check the info, log in to your router using its IP address on any browser. After logging in, go to Attached Devices or Device List, and look the information available on the wireless connected devices. If any IP address does not belong to you, it means that someone is using your WiFi. You can block that IP address.
Network monitoring tool.
Logging into the router's information is an easy method, but you can go a step further by using network monitoring software. There are many software tools available in the market - one of the most popular being MoocherHunter. The software enables you to track down wireless moocher or hacker and even block them.
Use WiFi inspector.
This is a Chrome software which lets you take a free look at all devices connected to your network. The information includes device names, IP addresses, and more. You can even create a list of your devices and then check if any unknown device is present.
Now, let us look at some of the means to secure the network.
Changing user ID and password.
Keeping the same ID and password of your router for a long period can be dangerous. So, it's really important and advisable to change them on a regular basis. This will at least make things tough for the hacker.
Turn off DHCP.
To ensure complete security, you can turn off Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) entirely. But, after that, you will have to assign the IP address to each device individually. And, yes, don't forget to update your router's firmware regularly.
Even if you have a high-speed internet connection, sometimes the Wi-Fi router doesn't do justice. Because it is always not the internet speed, which sucks but the router.
Not influencing you to get any tri-band or dual-band router but even your current router pretty much can get the work done.
Wi-Fi range is obviously an area where you may have to compromise but there are still many hacks that can comparatively increase the Wi-Fi range and speed.
8. Update your router firmware.
Router Settings interest us least. I don't remember when was the last time I logged onto my router. But this least interesting thing can get your work done. Login into your Router Settings and update its firmware. Updating firmware can really improve the Wi-Fi performance.
7. Router Placement.
Every Wi-Fi router throws the internet range in 360-degree (circular motion). So, placing the router in the corner of the house will not make sense. Place the Wi-Fi router in the place where it is more or less at the same distance to every corner of the house.
6. Change Wi-FI Frequency.
If you are running on a dual-band Wi-Fi router, then it is better to switch to 5GHz frequency rather than staying on 2.4GHz. Changing the router frequency band can affect the performance big time.
5. Old router.
For non-tech savvy, the router is the least thing that deserves an upgrade and that is where we make the mistake. If you are using an old router, then it may not help with internet speed.
Like if you have bought a router a few years ago then you might still be running on 802.11g with a maximum throughput of 54Mbps.
Compare that with the more modern 802.11n at 300Mbps, and the latest 802.11ac at 1Gbps. So even if you are not thinking to upgrade your router, you must keep an eye on the internet connection you are running on.
4. Know what you want.
Many Wi-Fi routers come with QoS (Quality of Service) feature, which allows the user to distinguish between your devices. So, if you have a device for video streaming or a device for VoIP calls, then you can specify the same in the QoS setting so that the router will send the internet speed according to the device.
3. Get a Wi-Fi extender.
If you have a wide place at your home or office then no matter what you do, there will be areas where your Wi-Fi router will be unable to throw the Wi-Fi range. So it is better to get a Wi-Fi extender to increase your Wi-Fi range. Yes, Wi-Fi extender might affect the internet speed but it will not make big deal.
2. Get a mesh Wi-Fi setup.
If you are not fine with using Wi-Fi extender, then mesh Wi-Fi system will help you in enjoying great speed. Mesh System is designed and optimised to work with each other so as to ensure a uniform performance.
1. Get new antennae.
If your router supports external antennae, then it is a good idea to attach external antennae on it. The antennae can help with the range and speed your router is throwing off. Even if your router doesn't support external antennae, then also you can point the existing antennae to the area of weak signals.