Ever wondered why your Wi - Fi signaling slows to a crawl every once in a while , impolitely disrupting yourHouse Hunters Internationalbinge ? It could bea wonky router curing - up , or it could be some jerk neighbor squatting on your link like it ’s the neighborhood Starbucks ' .
Not only can you find out who ’s mooching off your Wi - Fi , you could right away kick them off . Here ’s the 411 .
Step 1: Log into your router
To feel out what gadget are currently soaking up that sweet , gratifying rapid signal , you ’ll need to log into your router . typewrite the twist ’s gateway IP address into your web browser . The two most pop router brands , Cisco and Linksys , share a default address of 192.168.1.1 – otherwise , you should be capable to encounter yours onthis page .
You ’ll be inspire to enroll the username and password , and unless you switch things up when you first set up the router , your username is most probable still the default " admin " and your password is either " password , " the router ’s serial routine ( which you ’ll retrieve on the physical router itself ) , or blank .
Next , flick on the lozenge that reads " DHCP Client List " or " Attached Devices , " which will show you a list of the MAC addresses for devices currently using your router ’s connective . If there ’re more numbers / devices listed than you know should be on there , you ’ve probably got a nester .
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It may sound a niggling complex , but it ’s really quite mere . However , if the above seems way over your head , NETGEAR , Linksys , andApple ’s AirPorteach have devote apps that make it much soft for tech - phobic folks to keep tabs on who ’s using their link .
Step 2: Boot freeloaders by switching up security settings
To make certain lurkers do n’t continue to slow you down , you ’ve got to exchange up your password . lumber back into your router and find the surety section ( it bet on your router brand , but you ’ll in all likelihood find this under a " wireless setting " or " advanced preferences " pill . You ’ll roll in the hay you ’re in the right place when you see a drop - down menu with the option to select WPA2 or WPA , and a theatre for a password or master ) . Select the more good WPA2 option , and woolgather up a complex password – something with case - sensitive letter , number , and maybe a symbol or two – and check that tokeep it on file .
Once you ’ve saved the new countersign , bring up your router and rejoice in your return to a speedy connection .
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