Who (or what) is using your network? 🕵️

Broadband Discussions
1

Chances are you’ve never checked who’s using your network - Broadband Genie research shows as many as two our of three of us have never checked.

With the average home network used by 12 connected devices, it’s worth keeping an eye on - removing old or unused connections could help with both speed and security.

Do you know how to check your home network to see who’s able to use it?
Have you ever found anything unexpected?

  • Yes, I check my network regularly
  • Haven’t got around to it yet
  • Don’t know how to check
  • Didn’t even know this was possible!
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What broadband connected devices do you actually find useful? 🤖
2

How do I go about discovering all the devices using of my network? Would it be through the broadband supplier’s own app?

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3

Same here. How do we check who is using our network?

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4

Most routers have a way to show you every device connected to them, although it will vary depending on your provider.

  • The easy way - your router app - lots of modern routers - especially those provided by major ISPs like BT, Sky, Virgin, or Plusnet - come with a smartphone app. If you set this up when you got your broadband, that’s the friendliest place to look. There’s usually a “devices” or “connected devices” section right on the home screen.

  • The slightly more techy way - a web interface. Every router also has a settings page you can reach from any browser on your home network. You’ll usually be able to track the address down via the physical router itself - on the back or bottom of the box router, sometimes on a sticker, which might say “admin address” or “router address”. Again, once you get logged in look for menu items like “My Network”, “Connected Devices”, or “Device List”.

  • Once you find your way in, the list might be rather longer than you expect - don’t panic if you see devices named with random letters and numbers, although you may also see recognisable brand names and device names. You may be able to identify individual devices by looking at the device type/brand, switching one off or disconnecting from WiFi to see what changes.

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5

Thank you. That’s really helpful. I’m going to try it out this weekend.