You don't think to check until something goes wrong. A neighbor who figured out your password years ago. A device from an old roommate that's still connected. An unknown device that just... appeared. Any of these can slow down your connection and, in some cases, create a security risk.

The good news is that checking is easy, and dealing with it is even easier.

Signs something might be off

Your internet feels slow even when no one in your house is using it. Your router's activity lights are blinking constantly even at 3am when all your devices should be idle. You notice unfamiliar device names when you look at your connected devices list.

None of these are definitive proof on their own, but they're worth investigating.

How to see what's connected to your network

The most reliable way is to log in to your router. Open a browser on any device connected to your WiFi and type your router's IP address into the address bar. This is usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, and you can also find it printed on the back of your router. You'll be asked to log in with a username and password (also usually on the router's label if you've never changed it).

Once you're in, look for a section called "Connected Devices," "Device List," or "DHCP Clients." This shows every device currently connected to your network. You'll see names like "Mike's iPhone," "DESKTOP-ABC123," or "Amazon-Echo." Anything you don't recognize is worth investigating.

If you can't figure out what a device is, a quick Google search of the device name or the manufacturer code next to it can often tell you. It might just be a device you forgot about.

How to kick someone off and keep them off

The only reliable way to remove an unauthorized user and prevent them from coming back is to change your WiFi password. Yes, this means you'll need to reconnect all your own devices, which is a mild annoyance. But it's the clean solution.

When you change the password, everyone, including any intruders, gets disconnected. Then you reconnect your own devices with the new password and they're locked out for good.

While you're in your router settings, also check what password is set for the router's admin login page itself. Many routers still have the default password of "admin" or "password," which is easy for anyone on your network to use. Changing that to something unique is a smart move while you're in there.

If you want a hand walking through any of this, PCRescue can do it with you remotely. No need to figure it out alone.