Leaving your Wi-Fi network open to everyone can be risky. We explain the possible dangers to you and how to protect yourself from it.
Access to the Wi-Fi of your Internet box is generally protected by a password. The latter is, at the base, very secure and makes it difficult to piracy attempts. However, it is not uncommon for some homes to decide to simplify this password strongly, making it much easier to remember for home users, but also easier to guess to access your network.
A neighbor who has access to your Wi-Fi may have a certain impact on its power. The higher the number of people connected to your box, the more the quality of your own connection may deteriorate. Your web pages, video games and applications will be much slower. A height knowing that it is you who pay the Wi-Fi subscription!
It is not uncommon for some people to “squat” their neighbor’s wi-fi. The methods to access it are multiple: you may very well have provided them with access to your Internet box and have forgotten to revoke it. It is also possible that your neighbors have guessed the password of your Wi-Fi or came across it by inspecting your box. We explain how to check if your neighbors have access to your internet box and how to withdraw this same access.
The first way to find out if someone uses your Wi-Fi without your consent must come from your connection speed. If the latter has been abnormally slow for some time, this may be due to unauthorized use of Wi-Fi from people outside your home.
To make sure, go to the connection portal of your internet box by bringing your computer or smartphone. Open your Internet browser and enter the following IP address in the URL bar: 192.168.1.1. You should then land on the connection page to your box which will differ according to your operator (Free, Orange, SFR …). Then enter your connection identifiers (you can contact your operator if you do not know where to find them) to be able to find the devices approved to connect to your Wi-Fi. Do not hesitate to delete those you do not recognize, It could well be “squatters”.
Deleting unidentified devices is a first step, but that will not prevent them from connecting again to your Wi-Fi. This is why the best way to make sure that no one squat your Wi-Fi is still to modify your password. An operation that you can also do in your connection portal to your box. It is recommended to change this password since it disconnects all the devices that used this same password in the past. So do not hesitate to make a change several times a year to make sure you are the only home to benefit from your Wi-Fi.