10 Ways to Block Devices from Using Your Wifi

How will you know if someone is connected to your WiFi and needs to be blocked?
Some signs might help determine whether someone is using your wifi.

Signs that Someone is Using your Wifi

1. Slow download and upload rates.

If your download and upload speeds are routinely lower than they should be, someone is likely using your WiFi to download files from the Internet. However, don’t leap to conclusions too quickly because a single slowness might be caused by various factors, including a background update process or routine router maintenance work.

2. Unfamiliar devices

Suppose you log into your router’s admin interface and notice unfamiliar devices in the list of associated devices. In that case, someone who shouldn’t have access to your wireless network may be accessing the Internet through it. However, depending on how your network saves login information, the associated devices might be cellphones and wearables belonging to previous visitors.

3. Internet connections decrease when your neighbor gets home from work.

Finally, if the Internet connections decrease when your neighbor gets home from work, they may be using your Internet connection. Change your WiFi password to confirm your suspicions and run a speed test to check if your Internet connections have improved. If they suddenly worsen after a few hours or days, your next-door neighbor could be a genius at WiFi hacking.

What Will Happen If You Don’t Take Actions Right Away?

1. Wardriving

Wardriving is a piggybacking that is unique. A wireless access point’s broadcast range can provide internet access beyond your home, even across the street. Knowing this, some computer users have created a pastime of driving about towns and neighborhoods with a wireless-enabled computer—sometimes with a strong antenna—looking for unprotected wireless networks. Wardriving is the term for this type of behavior.

2. Attacks of the Evil Twin

An attacker gathers knowledge about a public network access point and utilizes their system to launch an evil twin attack. An attacker creates a stronger broadcast signal than the authorized access point, and unsuspecting users connect to it using the stronger signal. The attacker may easily access any data the victim transmits over the internet using specialized tools since the victim connects to the internet through the attacker’s workstation.

This data may contain credit card numbers, login and password combinations, and other personal details. Check the name and password of a public Wi-Fi hotspot twice before using it. By doing this, you can be sure you’re connecting to a secure access point.

3. Unauthorized Access to Computers

An unprotected public wifi network paired with unsecured file sharing might provide a hostile person access to any folders and files you’ve mistakenly shared. When connecting your devices to public networks, disable file and folder sharing. Allow sharing only on authorized home networks and only when it is essential. Make careful to switch off file sharing when not in use. This will shield the data on your device from unauthorized users.

Resetting Your Router: A Step-by-Step Guide

Discovering how to reset the password for your router is important in maintaining the security and privacy of your network. This article will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to reset your router’s password to its default settings.

How Can You Block Devices from Wifi?

1. You Need Your Router’s Login Credentials

It can be easy to forget your router’s login credentials, but they are necessary to access the device’s settings. If you don’t remember your login information, there are a few ways to find it. The first is to check the router itself. There should be a sticker on the back or bottom of the router with the login information. If you’ve lost the sticker, or if it’s not legible, you can try looking up your router model online. There should be a section on the manufacturer’s website with specific login information for that router model. If you still can’t find your login credentials, you can contact your internet service provider for help.

2. Login IP Into Any Browser Address Bar.

Once you have the login credentials, open a web browser and navigate to the URL. Start by entering the login IP into the address bar of any browser 192.168.1.254, 192.168.1.1, or another number is frequently used as the router login. Verify the sticker on the router’s back. Entering your login and password will be required. admin is the default username, while the password is the default password (unless you have changed it). You’ll be brought to the router’s home screen once you log in.

This is where you can configure your network settings, including passwords, SSIDs (network names), and DNS servers. You can also view information about your current network status and devices that are connected to your network. If you need to change your router’s settings, this is the place to do it.

3. Identify The Device

You have to identify the device. This can be done by using an identification tool like NetSpot or Wireshark. Once the device is recognized, the network administrator must block access to that device from the router. A blocklist of devices can be made, or MAC address filtering can be used. You can note down the MAC address to block devices permanently from the network. Any device that’s not yours could be the one stealing your Wifi.

4. Go To Router Admin

Turn on your computer and go to router admin once you’ve written down the address. To prohibit devices, follow these steps:

• Open a browser and type the IP address of the router.
• Log in with the credentials
• Click on Wireless or Advanced Menu, then Security
• Click on MAC Filter
• In the filter list, enter the MAC address you wish to prohibit access for.
• Select Reject for MAC filter mode
• Now click Apply

Although the specific processes and buttons differ based on your router’s admin panel, the filtration capability is generally accessible for routers to enable access control. You may allow your own devices in the same places you ban others. Only the permitted devices in your house can connect to your network. This is not advised, but it will save you the hassle of locating every device linked to the Wifi network.

Other methods you can try for limiting or restricting access to devices:

Method #1. Change the password for your WiFi network.

One way to increase the security of your network is to change the password. Many people use easy-to-guess passwords, such as “password” or “1234”. To prevent unwanted access to your network, you must use a strong password. A good way to create a strong password is to use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. You can also use a phrase instead of a word. Be sure to avoid using common words and phrases that are easily guessed.

Method #2. Another way to protect your WiFi network is to enable encryption.

Encryption scrambles the data that travels between your computer and the router, making it difficult for someone to eavesdrop on your traffic. Most routers support both WEP and WPA encryption. As a result, unless someone has the new password, they won’t be able to get into your network.

Method #3. Block someone by using a firewall.

Computers have been protected from external attacks for a long time by firewalls. They can, however, also be utilized to prevent specific individuals from connecting to a computer or network. Software- or hardware-based firewalls can be set up to allow or prevent access for particular people or websites. They can also be set up to log any attempts to access the computer or network, which can help identify any potential threats. A firewall can be used to block certain websites or devices from connecting to the internet.

Method #4.  You can use a router with built-in security features to block people from accessing your network.

When most people think of routers, they think of devices that allow them to access the internet. However, routers can also be used to block people from accessing your network. Many routers come with built-in security features that allow you to do just that. One such feature is called “port forwarding.” With port forwarding enabled, you can specify which devices are allowed to access your network and which ones are not. This may be a really effective approach to keep unauthorized users off your network and safeguard your data.

Method #5. Set time limits.

This is a middle-ground method in which you don’t completely disable a device but limit the amount of time it may utilize the router. It may have its own menu or fall under the MAC Filtering. You can restrict access to a device to specific hours of the day.

Is it safe sharing WiFi with neighbours?

Sharing Wifi with your neighbor can be a great idea, but it can also be risky. The risks depend on what you share and how you share it. If you want to share wifi with your neighbors, ensure you have secure passwords for all your devices and networks. For more security tips , click here.

Method #6. Erase Wi-Fi password on the device.

If the device you want to disconnect from the network is physically accessible to you, go into the Network/Wi-Fi settings of the device and delete the Wi-Fi network password, which will have to be re-entered to reconnect. After that, you may add an extra layer of protection by changing the Wi-Fi password.

Learning how to protect your data from thieves by securing your home’s WiFi is a must. Given the number of devices that connect to our network, you must take every precaution to prevent undesirable actors from gaining access.

If you can’t practically implement all of the suggestions above, at least try a few to make little, straightforward modifications. For example, changing default passwords makes it more difficult for hackers to access a computer. Your system’s first defense for security is to use complex passwords that you change frequently.

It would be beneficial if you also considered installing a host-based firewall on your wireless devices and home network (a router- or modem-based firewall). The data on your computer is protected to a greater extent by a host-based firewall than a network firewall, which may not be effective against attacks that access your wireless network directly.

Always remember that someone is out there trying to pick or break in every lock. Be vigilant! If you find this article helpful to you,let me know in the comments below!