Having neighbors come over is not all that bad.
But if your online games suddenly start loading slowly or video streaming sites refuse to start, there’s a high probability that you have an unwelcome guest on your network.
How to find out if your neighbors are using your Wi-Fi?
Before you start accusing your neighbor, it is good to see if they are to blame for your dip in internet speed.
There are instances when your ISP may block your IP address because you have been downloading too much data.
If this is the case, you can try VPN for free (like 911 VPN) to bypass the restriction and enjoy unlimited downloads at maximum speeds.
Not every online activity needs a large amount of bandwidth. It’s difficult to detect anything out of the norm if you’re not downloading gigabytes of data every day.
Therefore, even if your Wi-Fi is working fine, it’s a good idea to check the devices that are linked to it from time to time.
By logging into your router, you can see all of the devices that are linked to it. It’s also important to check over the list of devices that were previously linked. In this way, you can tell if your Wi-Fi security has been compromised.
You may also try out networking monitoring applications like the bandwidth monitoring tool, which is available in mobile and desktop versions.
How to Protect Your Home Wi-Fi
If you find any discrepancy in the number of devices your router was connected to, it may be good to take the necessary steps to protect your home Wi-Fi.
Change Your Password
This one is a no-brainer.
Changing your Wi-Fi password is the easiest and most effective way to let your neighbors know that their presence is not welcomed.
It may also be a good practice to use a password that is hard to guess with a combination of letter numbers and special characters.
If you do not want your neighbor to know that you changed your password, you may also consider changing the name of your Wi-Fi, so they will not know which network to connect to.
Use a VPN
A VPN can protect you online by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address.
This will significantly increase your online security and privacy.
A VPN also enables other advanced features, including unlocking geo-locked content on the internet or bypassing government or institutional restrictions on certain websites.
Reliable VPNs do not lessen your data, and therefore, you often have to pay monthly subscriptions for them, which may not be ideal.
But when you factor in that with one surfshark VPN subscription, you and your family can connect an unlimited number of devices; the cost suddenly becomes quite reasonable.
Update Your Router’s Software
It’s critical to keep your router’s firmware up to date to maintain its security. Otherwise, hackers might take advantage of a vulnerability and hack your system.
Bottom Line
Slow internet speed is not the only problem you will face if your home network is compromised. Over 500 million smart home devices were shipped in 2021, and hacking your Wi-Fi will mean that hackers have access to your security camera and all other smart devices at your home.
In addition, hackers can also use your network to carry out cyberattacks on government institutions which will undoubtedly attract the NSI to ask you a few questions. So, to protect your home security, use a reliable VPN.