How to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi

When to scan your network

You don’t necessarily need to regularly check for «uninvited guests» on your Wi-Fi network. But there are situations where such a scan can actually be useful and help you quickly identify the cause of connection problems:

1. Your internet has suddenly become noticeably slower — before you complain to your provider, make sure no one unauthorised is using your network.
2. If you’ve moved house or installed a new router, you should change the default password straight away.
3. If you haven’t changed your Wi-Fi password for a while — it’s a good habit to change it every six months, just like the passwords for your important accounts.
4. If you’ve had lots of guests over and given them the password to your home network — it’s worth changing it afterwards.

There are various ways to check who is using your Wi-Fi — from a quick glance at the router’s indicator lights to viewing detailed information about all connected devices. We’ve put together the most convenient options, which are suitable for both regular users and those who want to monitor their home network in more detail.

1. By checking the lights on your router

The quickest and easiest method, which requires no software or settings — just your eyes and a minute of your time.

Disconnect absolutely all your devices from Wi-Fi: smartphones, laptops, tablets, TVs, smart speakers – anything that might be connected. Then look at the router’s indicator lights. Wireless connections are usually indicated by lights labelled «WLAN» or «Wi-Fi».

If, after switching off all your devices, these lights continue to flash rapidly, it means that someone else is still using your network. If, on the other hand, they have stopped flashing or are lit steadily without interruption, everything is fine — there are no unauthorised users on the network.

This method does not work in exactly the same way on all router models, but it is a perfectly reliable quick initial check.

2. Via the router settings in your browser

This is the most reliable method, allowing you to see a full list of connected devices, including their names and IP addresses. It works on computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

How to find your router’s address:

1. On Windows, open the Command Prompt: press Win + R, type cmd and confirm.
2. Type the command ipconfig and press «Enter».
3. Look for the line «Default Gateway» — this is your router’s address, usually in the format 192.168.x.x.

Alternatively, simply try the standard addresses: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 — one of these will work for most routers. The exact address is usually also printed on a sticker on the underside of the device.

Next, follow these simple steps:

1. Open your browser and enter the router’s address in the address bar.
2. Enter your username and password. If you’ve never changed them, look for them on the sticker on the bottom of the router (they’re usually admin/admin or admin/password).
3. Find the section listing the connected devices. Depending on the manufacturer, it may be called «Connected Devices», «DHCP Clients» or «Wireless Clients».

In this list, you’ll see all the devices currently connected — their names, IP addresses and MAC addresses (the unique «identifiers» for each gadget) — and you’ll be able to check how many devices are connected to the router at that moment. If there is anything unclear among them, such as «Unknown Device» or an unfamiliar name, this is a cause for concern.

3. Via an app on a smartphone or PC

If you don’t want to get to grips with your router’s settings, there’s a more convenient alternative — specialised apps for your smartphone or PC that scan your network and display the results in a clear, easy-to-understand format.

• Fing is one of the most popular free tools, available on both Android and iOS mobile platforms, as well as in a web version. Simply open the app and start a scan — within a few seconds, it will display all devices on the network: the device type (smartphone, laptop, Smart TV), manufacturer and name. No separate registration is required.
• PingTools is a free Android app offering a wide range of network tools: the local network scanner displays all devices connected to the Wi-Fi network, along with their IP and MAC addresses, and there is also a Wi-Fi access point scanner, ping, traceroute, port scanner and other utilities for network diagnostics. The simple interface is suitable for both everyday users and those who want to gain a deeper understanding of how their network works.
• LanScan is a free network scanner for macOS, the Mac equivalent of Fing. It launches a scan with a single click and displays all active devices on the network, showing their IP addresses, MAC addresses and manufacturer names. The paid version also displays hostnames and more detailed information about each device.
• Wireless Network Watcher is a lightweight network scanning application suitable for Windows PCs that requires no installation. Simply unzip and run it — the programme will immediately display a full list of connected devices with manufacturer names and addresses, and can also send notifications whenever a new device connects to the network.

There are also dedicated apps from router manufacturers — TP-Link Tether, ASUS Router and Mi Wi-Fi. If your router is from one of these brands, such an app will provide the most comprehensive information and allow you to block unauthorised devices straight away, directly from your phone.

4. Via the command line

This option is for those who want quick results without installing third-party software. It works on Windows and macOS.

1. Open the command prompt (Win + R → cmd on Windows, or «Finder» → «Utilities» → «Terminal» on a Mac).
2. Type the command arp -a and press «Enter».

As a result of these steps, the system will display a list of the IP and MAC addresses of all devices that have recently interacted with your network.

What to do if you find an unauthorised device on your network

If you spot a device in the list that definitely doesn’t belong to you, don’t panic. Here’s a simple guide on how to protect your home Wi-Fi from intruders and prevent any real problems from arising:

• Change your Wi-Fi password — this is the quickest and most effective step. The new password will immediately disconnect everyone currently connected to the network, and only those who enter the new details will be able to reconnect. If, however, you only want to remove a specific device, most routers and manufacturer apps allow you to block it by its MAC address directly from the router’s control panel, without changing the password for everyone else. Choose a password with 12 or more characters, including numbers and letters in mixed case — a simple password, such as a date of birth or flat number, can be cracked in a matter of minutes.
• Check the encryption type in your router’s settings. If it’s set to the outdated WEP, it’s like a lock that can be opened with a hairpin. The modern WPA2 or WPA3 standards are significantly more secure.
• Disable WPS — the quick connection feature using a button or PIN code. It’s vulnerable and often becomes a point of entry for intruders.
• Set up a guest network for those who need internet access at your home, but without access to your main devices — your laptop, smart gadgets or file storage.
• Change the default username and password for the router itself (not for the Wi-Fi, but for the control panel). Most routers are sold with the same factory defaults of «admin/admin» — if someone connects to your network, they can also access the device’s settings.

Wi-Fi under control + a stable internet connection — the formula for digital peace of mind

Knowing that only your own devices are on your network makes it much easier to identify the real cause of any problems. If, after checking, everything is in order but the Internet is still slow, the issue lies with the quality of the connection itself.

Maxnet’s Internet service provides a stable connection without sudden drops in speed. And if anything does go wrong, you can always contact the provider’s technical support.

Having control over your own Wi-Fi network is just as important for digital security as a strong password or two-factor authentication on important accounts. Just a few minutes once a month — and you’ll know exactly who’s on your network.