How to check who is using your internet

Relax and be free from anxiety Take back good sleep and help alleviate pain. For more details, follow up with either the administrative console check or software tool suggestion below.

On a Mac? Next, type in that IP address in a browser window. It should provide a list of IP addresses, MAC addresses, and device names if detectable that you can look up. Compare the connected devices to your gear to find any unwanted users. As mentioned below, making sure your wireless security is using WPA2 encryption and setting up a new password will prevent unauthorized users from accessing your wifi network and kick off any who are on your network until they provide the new security key.

The software description says it can geo-locate the wireless hacker from the traffic they send across the network, down to a two-meter accuracy. Everything looks right but you still can't get to the net?

Check to see if you can connect to your AP. Most APs have a Web-based administration panel. If you can get to it, it's finally time to stop looking for local area network LAN problems and look to your Internet connection itself. The next step is to see what's what with your Internet connection. I could tell you a lot of fancy things to try, but I'll make this really simple. Unplug your cable or DSL modem, whatever, wait for half-a-minute and then plug it back in.

If you call your ISP, chances are ninety-nine times out of one hundred they'll you to the same thing. Then, if you're still not on the net, you might as well grit your teeth and call your ISP. This is usually a pointless exercise, but every now and again you can get useful information. For example, it's not just you but a whole neighborhood that's having problems because a back-hoe took out a cable.

And, once in a blue moon, they'll actually have a helpful suggestion. I've seen it happen! Let's say though that your Internet is up and running, but it's being a little flaky. Here's what you do. First, let's see if you're actually getting the bandwidth you're paying for.

The best site to check on your current real speed is Speedtest. This site is run by Ookla , a network performance company.

For just checking out what's what with your Internet connection, their main service is free. The Speedtest site will tell you what your ping is-the time it takes from a single packet from your network to hit a host site-and your download and upload speeds.

What you want is a low ping number, less than 10ms milliseconds is good, and high download and upload speeds.

So, let's presume it's not as fast as you were promised. Welcome to the real world. ISPs usually over-promise and under-deliver on bandwidth. Even if you have a low ping and your bandwidth looks good your connection may still not be that good. That's because ping and bandwidth only tell part of the story. You may be losing packets or suffering from jitter. To check for these problems, use Pingtest. Packet loss is just what it sounds like.

Your PC is sending out packets of information to some site on the Internet Lots of things can cause packet loss: interference, overburdened network hardware, or a bad connection. Regardless, you should have recorded the default or the new password when you set up your router, or after it was set for you by an installation technician. Other routers have their own organizational structure for this information, but every router should provide it.

Once you are on the list, you can identify every device based on its MAC address. If you have trouble identifying all the devices listed, turn all devices off or refresh the map. There are some excellent third-party tools that will help you do the job. One such great tool is the F-Secure Router Checker.

It is a free and quick solution to see whether your router had been hijacked or not. It will assess any vulnerabilities in your router and alert you to them. It is an excellent way to identify devices accessing your network.

What should you do if you identify someone using your WiFi network without your permission? Some include scheduling for specific devices, so you can choose your child's laptop, tablet or gaming console and disconnect it from the internet at, say, 8 p. Want to block everything? Look for options that let you group devices together. In addition to scheduling, some routers include parental controls for specific sites. You can choose which URLs to block on different devices in your home, so you can keep your kids away from content you deem inappropriate or dangerous.

Netgear , for example, does this with its Nighthawk routers through the Nighthawk app's parental control settings, powered by Circle Smart Parental Controls. You can adjust time and content for each device on your network from your mobile device.

If you're just looking to keep distractions at a minimum during dinnertime but don't want to set up any specific schedules or restrictions, pausing the connection is your best bet. Routers and mesh networks like Nest Wifi include companion apps that allow you to pause the internet connection on some or all devices and resume it as soon as you're ready. Hint: This is also pretty handy if your kids' daily Wi-Fi consumption is interfering with things like work-related video calls.

If you love the router you already own but want to add parental controls, there are add-on devices out there to help. Plug-in modules like the Circle Home Plus connect to your router and manage internet access and rules for multiple connected devices. Some devices and apps can even budget a certain number of minutes to each device, then allow children to earn more internet time by doing chores around the house.