How to see who is connected to. How to see which devices are connected to a wireless Wi-Fi network

Landscaping and planning 21.10.2019
Landscaping and planning

The question of how to find out who is connected to my WiFi is of interest to many users. wireless connection. Let's figure out what signs can suggest that there is a third-party connection. We will also learn how to recognize your device and disable unnecessary ones. And consider the options for restricting connections and the process of changing the network password.

Signs of someone else's connection to your network

First of all, let's decide how to find out that other users are connected to WiFi. There are a number of signs that should alert the owner of the router.

  • Slow upload and download speed. If there have never been problems with the provider, then most likely the traffic is spent on third-party connected devices.
  • Restricting access to some sites from your IP that have not been observed before.
  • After disconnecting all your devices from WiFi, the indicators on the router continue to signal the data exchange process.

If the above happens periodically, you need to check how many devices use your access point to access the Internet.

Ways to check the number of connected devices

Let's answer the question of how to see who is connected to my WiFi. Few people know how to check how many devices are connected. You can use the router interface or a third-party utility. Let's consider in detail each of the options.

In the web interface of the router

To provide data about who is connected to my WiFi router, the web interface of the device itself will help directly. To do this, just enter the settings and open the desired tab.

Information on how to open the device settings is located on its bottom or in the accompanying documents in the box from the router.

If you are interested in the question of how to find out how many active connections to the D-Link router, then you need to open the Active session section. It will also display devices connected to WiFi.

With the help of programs

In addition to the router settings page, a special program will help you check who is using the WiFi router. There are many developments that can solve the problem.

This is far from full list similar software.

How to find out which device is yours

Now let's answer the question of how to determine which devices connected to my network are strangers. To do this, you need to find out your MAC address and compare it with the available ones.

On a mobile device:

  1. Open your gadget settings.
  2. Go to the "About phone" section.
  3. Open the general information about the device and find the MAC address in the list.

To find out the MAC of a computer or laptop, follow these steps.


As a result, the user will see information about all adapters and the corresponding MAC of the computer.

Disabling foreign devices

After the unique addresses of your devices are identified, you should delete the “neighbors” sitting in your network. To do this, we use the web interface of the router. We compare our MAC addresses with existing connections and identify unnecessary ones. Then, in the Wireless MAC Filtering settings for unnecessary connections, set the value to Disabled, for TP-Link routers.

For D-Link, click "disconnect" for rogue connection in the "station list" section of the advanced settings.

How to block all other people's connections

To limit the number of users and prevent a person from reconnecting to the network, it is worth setting up special filters. For allowed MAC addresses, create an "Accept" filter and enter your device details.

Even if you protect the router with a password, this cannot guarantee that it will not be hacked and the Wi-Fi will not be stolen. In this tutorial, I will show you how to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi network. There are 2 ways: go to the router settings or scan the network with a special program.

Method 1: go to the router settings

I will show you how to enter the router interface using the D-link DIR 300 as an example. But this method is also suitable for other models, only the interface differs.

To get to the interface, type the address of the router in the browser. The default is .

Standard login and the password is admin. They are shown on the label of the router or in the instructions.

If the default username/password is not suitable, reset the router to factory settings. To do this, there is a RESET button on the back of the router. Press and hold it sharp object a couple of seconds. All Wi-Fi settings will be reset, re-configure the access point.

Now go to the WiFi settings. In D-link, this is done through the menu "Set up manually - Wi-Fi - Station list". Or "Manually configure - Status - LAN clients" (all connections are displayed there, including wired and the router itself).


The table shows the MAC addresses of connected devices over a wireless connection.

How to find the MAC address?

To find out the MAC address on a laptop with Windows OS, run the command line (Start and search " Command line"). Execute the command ipconfig/all. We are looking for the MAC address in the line "Physical address".


On the smartphone, the MAC address is specified in the settings. On Android, it's "Settings - About phone (About tablet) - general information- WiFi MAC address.

Method 2: using the program

This method is easier, but you need to download the Wireless Network Watcher program (link to the official website). It is free and does not require installation.

We start WNetWatcher and wait a couple of seconds for it to check the network. It will show internet connections, including wired and the router itself.


If you notice other people's devices, put a difficult password on Wi-Fi and blacklist unwanted addresses, or allow only your addresses to connect. You can do this in the router interface. On D-link, it's "Manually Configure - Wi-Fi - MAC Filter".

Most users use a Wi-Fi router to share the Internet. Someone, for security reasons, puts a password on it, and some, not seeing the need for it, leave the router in the public domain. But in practice, it turns out that neither the first, nor, even more so, the second solution, ensure the security of your grid from unauthorized access.

So, for example, if the Internet suddenly started, as they say, “slow down”, then how to find out with the help of Android who is connected to my Wi-Fi, and in general, is this possible? Yes, this is possible, and we will now tell you in detail how to do it.

If you use your Internet connection alone, then only your device gets all the speed, and as other gadgets connect to your grid, the channel “clogs” and opening, for example, a web page quickly becomes problematic.

Typically, enough is used to secure wireless networks. reliable protection- WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols. And I must say that using strong passwords, you can be sure of the security of your wi-fi. So it was until recently. But use modern technologies and new equipment made hacking such protection not very difficult. Today, there are services that can crack any password for a fairly modest amount.

And not only lovers of "freebies" can use your connection, but also those who want to commit any illegal actions, shifting responsibility for them to you. And, if the integrity of your network is already in question, then it makes sense to find out if it has been hacked, and who is using it so shamelessly.

It must be said right away that the devices connected to your network and currently active will be displayed in the status. So, it’s worth catching villains when, for example, the Internet speed starts to drop sharply. Well, if you want to just look at the information, then you can proceed right after reading this article.

Using a computer

AT this case we will use a small free utility SoftPerfect WiFi Guard, which can be download on the official website:

The application will scan the WiFi network for all connected devices. If an unfamiliar device is detected, the user will be warned about the detection of an intruder. If the found device is known to you, then you can simply whitelist it and after that the program will not pay attention to it.

Using an Android device

You can find out who connected to your Wi-Fi through your Android. For this you need Download App Wifi Analyzer- Home Wifi Alert, which will turn your smartphone into a WI-Fi analyzer.

Upon completion of the installation, run the program and click on the "scan network" button. After a minute of waiting, the program will show all devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. Those connected without your knowledge will be marked in red. If you are sure that these are your devices, then you can add them to the checked ones:

Using Wifi Analyzer, you can also find the least loaded channels for your wireless router and even boost the signal of your network. The program will be of interest to specialists who often deal with setting up these networks, as well as to ordinary users.

Some features of the application:

  • View graphs by signal strength ratio
  • Display the number of channels for each network, Ad Hoc properties, encryption
  • Sort channels by rank
  • Display information about the connected network: IP, Local Mac, DNS, Link Speed, Gateway, ServerIP, Hidden SSID.

Checking third-party connections manually

We open the browser and in the address bar we enter 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 We enter the login and password requested by the system. This will open the router settings menu. Here it must be said that all routers, depending on the manufacturer, will have a different menu, but everywhere there will be a tab like Wireless (Wireless Settings or something similar). We go through it and see the line Wireless Statistics (or Station List, etc.). We click on it and see the display of a list of all devices that are connected to this network.

What to do if an unauthorized connection to my Wi-Fi is detected

  • The first is to change the password, coming up with a more secure one.
  • Second, if the outdated WEP encryption type is installed, then we replace it with WPA and WPA2.
  • Third - if there is a MAC address filter in the router settings, turn it on. Here we also set a list of those MAC addresses that can have access to your network, then everyone else will not be able to connect just like that.
  • Fourth - turn on the firewall (if this function is available in your router).
  • Fifth, we change the connection identifier (SSID) and make our Wi-Fi network invisible, which will complicate the possibility of unauthorized access. For greater security, it is better to come up with a more complicated name for the identifier.

After widespread distribution WiFi routers, their owners had questions about the leakage of Internet traffic. Even if the user himself does not download anything from the network, he still has a large amount of traffic. This can happen for the following reasons:

  1. unauthorized connection of their devices by strangers to the owner's router;
  2. downloading software updates operating system the computer of the owner of the router (at the same time, the amount of downloaded data should not exceed two gigabytes in one day).

How can you find out about possible connections by signs?

To find out, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

  1. decreased internet speed;
  2. frequent blinking of the lights on the Wi-Fi device even when the computers and mobile devices of the owner of the router are turned off.

How can I quickly see how many devices are connected?

Before you see how many devices are connected, it is recommended to determine the number of your own devices using Wi-Fi and turn them off. Only the PC needs to be left on. It requires you to do the following:


Also, especially experienced users can check using a cable connection. Required in the device settings through the "DHCP" tab, enter "DHCP Client List". The advantage of this method is that in addition to the MAC addresses, here you can also see and find out the IP addresses.

If you click on "Refresh" ("Update"), page content will be updated.

Rogue MAC address blocking

How to find out exactly and determine which are your own and which are third-party MAC addresses? To do this, for example, from a mobile device, enter the settings and then go to the device information section and see your MAC address.

To block extraneous addresses, you must enter "Wireless MAC Filtering" and click "Enable". Then position the button on parameter number one. Having done this, enter a foreign address and set the parameter "Disabled". Next, you need to save the changes you made.

How to check through the router settings panel?

You need to enter 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the browser. Then enter the name and access code (by default they are both "admin").

In the window that opens, go to the "Wireless" tab and then to "Wireless Statistics".

You should switch from basic to advanced settings. To do this, you need to refer to the menu located in the lower right corner. Then enter the "Status" section and click on the double arrow to the right of the name. A list of connected devices with MAC addresses will be displayed. Then find out which of them are strangers. Then you can block them.

But also the best option for the security of the Wi-Fi network is to set a password. It is recommended to come up with a complex password with a combination of various numbers, letters and symbols.

How to see who is connected using a LAN scan?

It is required to enter the IP of the PC and select the closest range. When the scan is completed, the addresses of the computer and router will be displayed. The appearance of additional addresses, ie. the number is more than two, will indicate the connection of third-party devices.

Using a special program to check

There is a program specially developed for this purpose "Wireless Network Watcher", which allows you to identify Wi-Fi "freeloaders" and, moreover, the program is free and does not need to be installed.

You need to work with the application from a computer connected to the router via a LAN cable connection. The WNW utility allows you to identify, in addition to MAC and IP addresses, the names of device manufacturers. The list of devices can be converted to any text editor.

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