I finally figured out why my home network felt so slow last month

About a month ago, my internet started crawling and I kept getting weird alerts from my router app. I thought it was just my provider being bad again, but then I checked the list of connected devices. There were like 15 things on there, and I only own maybe 8. I used the Fing app to scan everything and found a bunch of random smart plugs and a TV I didn't own. Turns out, my Wi-Fi password was still the default one printed on the router, and my neighbor's new gadgets were just hopping on. I changed it to a long passphrase right away and the speed went back to normal. It was a dumb mistake, but it really showed me how easy it is to get a bunch of junk on your network. Has anyone else had a problem with unknown devices like that, and what do you do to keep an eye on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo_harris14d agoMost Upvoted

My old router used to show a printer I didn't own. I set up a guest network for visitors and smart home stuff, and I check the device list every Sunday when I pay bills. It takes two minutes and I can kick off anything that looks weird. Why make it easy for someone else's gadgets to slow you down?

jennifer35814d ago

Spot the digital clutter before it spots you.