The first line of defense to protect your wireless connection is the use of a strong password, combined with a robust security protocol. However, there are always special situations like someone sharing the password without your permission, or a compromised device that ends up leaking credentials. If doubts have already settled in your mind and you want to check if your WiFi is being stolen, you can use one of the apps we will mention below, or alternatively, check all connections present at the router level.
Clearing Up Doubts
Anyone can decide to help a friend or neighbor with a temporary connection, but the real problem is abuse, especially if all we have at our disposal is a metered connection. In practice, neutralizing an uninvited device on our wireless network is as simple as resetting the WiFi password and replacing it with another one. Of course… the first step is to check if your WiFi is being stolen, and for that there are very complete free tools that you can run on smartphones and tablets.
How to See If Your WiFi Is Being Stolen: WiFiman
If you visit the official WiFiman page, the first thing you will see is a conventional speed test, but when you download and install its app version developed by Ubiquiti, you can study the overall state of your connection, perform a search for nearby wireless networks, and most importantly: identify the devices connected to your WiFi, each with its name, IP address, MAC address, and even the manufacturer.
Fing
One of WiFiman's direct rivals is Fing, which has a more elaborate social component (although creating an account is not mandatory). You can detect the devices on your network with a single tap, but the app also shares specific provider data, and reports on technical failures globally. Among its secondary tools, the WiFi scanner for networks and channels, ping, traceroute, and an open port detector stand out.
Network Analyzer
By far the simplest in terms of interface, but that doesn't make it less powerful. Network Analyzer offers the user a large amount of technical information, a LAN scanner that is responsible for detecting devices, and a package of five additional functions: Ping, route, Whois, DNS and ports. The free version of Network Analyzer is funded by advertising, otherwise, the Pro edition costs five dollars.
Bonus track: DD-WRT
If you are one of the bold ones who decided to follow our guide to install DD-WRT and replace the factory firmware, remember that you have access to real-time detection of connected devices. In fact, it is the first thing you can observe when entering its configuration, in the Wireless section. MAC addresses are censored for security reasons, but when it comes to checking if your WiFi is being stolen, there is nothing better than this. Obviously, other routers have similar functions, and you should consult their documentation to take advantage of them.
How to See If Your WiFi Is Being Stolen: In Summary
Fortunately, the process is not difficult. You just need to choose the tool that is most comfortable for you, and start your surveillance. Once the intruder is detected, you can change the network password, or if the router allows it, configure the device's MAC address in a blacklist to reject any future connection attempts. Good luck!
