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Does your neighbor still steal your WiFi? Do the following

  • There are many cases in which we have done someone a favor, giving them our password so that they can connect to the home WiFi network, but then this person abuses that trust.
  • In these circumstances, you have no choice but to find out if your WiFi is being stolen and, if so, put into practice some of the recommendations of the professionals to be calm

More than once in the past we’ve addressed that situation where there’s a stranger connected to your home network. In the end We have all suffered, at some time, from that neighbor or stranger who steals our WiFi, and it seems like there really isn’t much we can do about it. However, you should not despair because, with these tricks, you can quickly get rid of it, and make sure that no one else takes advantage of you again.

And this is extremely important because no one likes to pay for a service so that another can use it, but above all, because someone having access to these networks does not only mean that they will divert bandwidth, but also that You will be able to see our online activity, with the risks that this implies in security.

How to know if there is a neighbor stealing my WiFi?

If you suspect that someone is using your WiFi without permission, but you are not 100% sure, you can log in to your router’s interface and check the list of connected devices. Keep in mind that how you log in will vary depending on the router manufacturer and its software, so look for the exact instructions for your router.

Once you have the list of devices connected to the WiFi network, check if there are devices that you do not know. Normally, they should all sound familiar to you from somewhere, and represent those devices you have at home.

Even, there are routers that allow specific actions to be carried out on each device, such as blocking it. Note that this is not always enough because, for example, iPhones can develop new MAC addresses to reconnect and trick you, but it is at least a good strategy to let the thief know that you are aware of their illegal connections, and that you won’t stop until it stops stealing your WiFi.

Once you have the list of devices connected to the WiFi network, check if there are devices that you do not know

Indeed, they steal my WiFi, how to proceed?

If it is urgent for you that the person outside your home stop using the WiFi network as soon as possible, disconnect the modem. You just have to unplug it, or turn it off from the button that it has incorporated. If you have one, of course. Immediately your connection will be cut, and you will have to find another optionleaving you alone for a while.

This it will give you plenty of time to make the configurations that we consider necessary To protect you. When you’ve made all the bare minimum configuration changes, plug it back in.

Cancel your public WiFi permanently

If you have an open Wi-Fi hotspot, you should block it right away, because anyone can connect. This is one of the most common mistakes users make, so try not to fall for it too often.

You should know that if someone commits acts against the laws of your country, connected to your network, you will also be responsible. Reason enough, obviously, to only share your network with those people you trust.

Log in to the Settings interface of your router, and enable encryption, such as WPA2 or WPA3 Personal. Add a password to enable connections, and no longer pass it to that new neighbor in the building.

Let’s see this procedure in a little more detail, so that you don’t have any doubts.

Move to a modern encryption standard

As we said before, there are several encryption methods for home connections, although some of them no longer work. We can mention among them the old WEP, WPA1 and WPA2-TKIP, which are unanimously considered insecure. WEP, especially, is very easy to hack if you have a basic knowledge of the matter..

Us we advise you to stick with WPA2 Personal, or WPA3 Personal if your router supports it. Adding a state-of-the-art encryption standard is key to keeping hackers at bay.

Finally, if your router does not support any of the suggested versions, it is time to update it.

We advise you to stick with WPA2 Personal, or WPA3 Personal if your router supports it

Disable the guest account on your router

There are not a few routers that come with a guest account, in case someone passes by the house and will not return. These guest accounts roam outside of local networks, keeping you safe.

But although in principle they are not a danger from the security section, we cannot leave them there without reason. When nobody is using them, it is best to disable themand only reactivate them if you need them.

Change the password of your WiFi router

Perhaps, in a moment of weakness, you shared your router password with a newly moved neighbor. But time will have passed for you to have your own internet service and is no longer using yours.

Even worse if that neighbor later shared the password with a third neighbor, or someone who came to visit. We can avoid all this guesswork changing the network password at least once a month.

Returning to the Router Settings interface, you will see there is a space near SSID, where you can enter the new password. The system will ask you for the previous one to confirm that it is you. Keep that in mind.

Once you have a new password, that neighbor or thief will have no choice but to ask for it. Meanwhile, you will not be able to connect with any of your devicesand that is what interests us most.

Be just as cautious in person

In conclusion, none of the above will make sense if, after taking all this trouble, you share your accesses. Remember that your credentials should be few and, while you can do someone a favor, you have to give them short deadlines, telling them that, for your security and because you are the one who pays, you will block their access soon.

If you have applied all these tricks, tell us now, does your neighbor still steal WiFi?

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