

Most routers have a series of indicator lights that let you know when the router is powered on or connected to the internet. Some methods are simple, while others require a bit more technical savvy. If you think someone is stealing your Wi-Fi, the first step is to check. So unless you gave them permission to use your Wi-Fi, kick them off. Your neighbors probably aren’t trying to steal your credit card numbers, but freeloaders will slow down your connection speed. This is especially common if you live in a large apartment building, since your router signal is probably strong enough to be picked up from almost anywhere in your building and probably several of the surrounding buildings as well.
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Of course, while lax security might be an open invitation to hackers, Wi-Fi thieves are more likely to be neighbors trying to get free internet access. Redirect your browser to fake sites to steal your information.Use packet sniffers to steal passwords and other information.Use your connection for illegal activities.Having hackers on your network is bad for several reasons. 3Īlthough most wireless routers have security features enabled by default, many network attacks still begin with a hacker wardriving through a neighborhood, looking for network vulnerabilities (often still using a cantenna). 2 While this might conjure images of shadowy agents in high-tech surveillance vans, all it really took was a college kid with a laptop, some hacking software, and a “cantenna”-a signal amplifier antenna made out of a tin can. At this time, hackers would go “wardriving,” driving through neighborhoods looking for unsecured wireless networks that they could use to connect to the internet for free. Perhaps unsurprisingly, wireless hacking became common in the early days of Wi-Fi, when security protocols were lax and most people were new to the technology. The first wireless hack occurred in 1903 when Nevil Maskelyne hacked Marconi’s wireless telegraph in order to send a rude poem during a public demonstration. This has been true since the earliest days of wireless transmission.

Wireless networks make it easy to connect all your devices to the internet, but it also makes it easier for other people to use your connection.
