Do you know who is connected to your router’s Wi-Fi network? Look at the list of devices connected to your Wi-Fi network through a router or computer to find out.
Keep in mind that many devices connect to your Wi-Fi these days. The list will include laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles, Wi-Fi printers, and more.
Use GlassWire Pro to see who’s connected (and get alerted when a new device connects to your Wi-Fi)
We’re big fans of the GlassWire firewall and security system, and one of the great features they have in the Pro version is a quick and easy network view that shows you all the devices connected to your Wi-Fi network.
GlassWire is more than just a firewall, it also has beautiful graphs showing your bandwidth usage, which apps are connecting to what, and the exact throughput of each app. You can get alerts when an application changes something or when the installer tries to install a new system driver. There are numerous features, too many to list here.
But what makes GlassWire even better about today’s topic is that if you go to the Settings panel, you can turn on alerts whenever a new device tries to connect to your Wi-Fi. Now that’s a great feature!
GlassWire is free for basic use, but network device monitoring is only included in the paid version ($49 for one computer).
Use your router’s web interface
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The best way to find this information is to check your router’s web interface. Your router is the host of your Wi-Fi network, so it contains the most accurate information about what devices are connected to it. Most routers offer a way to view a list of connected devices, although some may not.
Standard tips for accessing your router’s web interface apply. If you are unsure of its IP address, you can usually find your computer’s gateway IP address through the Control Panel. You can also run the ipconfig /all command in a command prompt window.
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Then plug that IP address into your web browser’s address bar and press Enter. This should usually bring up your router’s interface. If it doesn’t, check your router’s documentation — or search the web for model number and «web interface» to find out how to access it. If you have not set a custom password and passphrase, you may need to search or check the documentation to find the default values for your router model.
Search for a list of connected devices
Now you need to look for this option somewhere in the web interface of your router. Look for a link or button labeled Connected Devices, Connected Devices, or DHCP Clients. You can find this on the Wi-Fi configuration page, or you can find it on the status page. On some routers, a list of connected devices may be printed on the main status page to save you some clicks.
On many D-Link routers, a list of connected devices is available under Status > Wireless.
On many Netgear routers, you’ll find a list in the Connected Devices section of the sidebar.
On many Linksys routers, this setting is located under Status > LAN > DHCP Client Table.
On Comcast Xfinity routers, you’ll find the list under Connected Devices in the sidebar.
List comprehension
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Many routers simply provide a list of devices connected via DHCP. This means that if a device is set to a static IP configuration, it will not appear in the list. Remember!
When you open the list, you will usually see similar information on each router. The interface probably shows you a table with a list of connected devices, their «hostnames» on the network, and their MAC addresses.
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If the list does not contain sufficiently meaningful names, you can change the hostnames (also known as «computer names» or «device names») on your computer or device operating systems. The hostname will be visible here. Unfortunately, there is no way to change the hostname on some devices — for example, we don’t know how to change the hostname of an Android device to something more meaningful without rooting.
When in doubt, you can always compare the MAC address shown on this page (or the displayed IP address) with the MAC address of the device you are using to check which device is which.
This list is not reliable
Of course, this list is not entirely perfect. Anyone can set any hostname they want, and you can also change your MAC address to spoof other devices. However, this will mean that your device will not be able to connect to the network while another device with a fake MAC address will take its place, since routers usually block two devices with the same MAC address from connecting at the same time. , And whoever has gained access to your router can set up a static IP configuration so that it is invisible.
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Ultimately, it’s not the most powerful security feature or reliable way to notice people connected to your network. This is not something you need to check regularly. If there are devices you can’t recognize, you can change your Wi-Fi passphrase — hopefully you’re using WPA2-PSK encryption — and this will disable all devices until they can provide a new passphrase.
However, even devices you don’t recognize may be yours that you don’t remember. For example, an unknown device could be a Wi-Fi enabled printer, a Wi-Fi connected speaker system, or the built-in Wi-Fi on your TV that you never use.
Scanning your Wi-Fi network with software on your computer
Generally, the ideal way to check connected devices is to use your router’s web interface. However, some routers may not offer this feature, so you might want to try using a scan tool. This is a piece of software running on your computer that scans the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to for active devices and lists them. Unlike router web interface tools, these scan tools do not have the ability to list devices that have been connected but are currently disconnected. You will only see online devices.
There are many tools for this, but we like NirSoft Wireless Network Watcher. Like other NirSoft software, this is a handy little tool with no adware or pop-ups. It also doesn’t even have to be installed on your computer. Download the tool, run it, and it will monitor the active devices on your Wi-Fi network, displaying their device names, MAC addresses, and Wi-Fi network equipment manufacturer. The manufacturer name is very useful for identifying specific devices without a device name, especially Android devices.
This tool may not work properly unless you specify a Wi-Fi network adapter. On our Windows PC, we had to click Options > Advanced Options in Wireless Watcher, select Use the following network adapter, and choose a physical Wi-Fi adapter before performing a scan.
Once again, this is not something you really need to worry about all the time. If you use WPA2-PSK encryption and have a good passphrase, you may feel safe. It is unlikely that someone will connect to your Wi-Fi without your permission. If you’re concerned this is happening for some reason, you always just change your Wi-Fi passphrase — you’ll have to re-enter it on all of your approved devices, of course. Before doing this, make sure WPS is disabled as WPS is vulnerable and attackers can use it to reconnect to your network without the passphrase.
Changing your Wi-Fi passphrase can also be a good idea if you’ve given your Wi-Fi password — for example, to neighbors who visit you — and want to be sure they won’t use it for years.
