How to See Who Is Connected to Your Wi-Fi

September 11, 2026

Log in to your router, open the connected devices list, and match each name, IP, and MAC address to a device you own to spot anything that is not yours.

You want to know which devices are using the Wi-Fi. The router keeps a live list, and reading it takes a couple of minutes.

Log in to your router

Open the router's admin page in a browser and sign in. If you have not done this before, follow log in to your router first.

Open the connected devices list

Find the section that lists devices. Labels vary by brand: look for Connected Devices, Attached Devices, Client List, Device List, or DHCP Clients. It is often on the home or status page, or under a network map, LAN, or wireless section.

Read each entry

Each row shows some of the following:

Name or hostname: what the device calls itself, such as a phone model or a computer name.
IP address: the local address the router gave it, such as 192.168.1.23.
MAC address: a fixed hardware ID like A4:5E:60:1B:2C:3D. It does not change when the IP does.
Connection: wired, 2.4 GHz, or 5 GHz.

Some routers list every device that has ever connected. Look for an online or active status column to see what is on right now.

Match unknown entries to your devices

Go through the list against what you own: phones, laptops, TVs, consoles, speakers, thermostats, plugs, cameras, doorbells, printers. Unknown entries are usually smart devices with vague names, or entries like espressif or android-a1b2c3. To confirm one, turn the suspected device off and check whether the entry drops off the list, or compare the MAC address with the one shown in the device's own settings.

Check the router app instead

If the router has a mobile app, the same list is there and often has clearer names and icons. Common ones are TP-Link Tether, Netgear Nighthawk, and ASUS Router, plus the internet provider's app for a provider-supplied gateway.

If a device is not yours. Change the Wi-Fi password in the router's wireless settings and reconnect your own devices. Everything else drops off. While there, turn off WPS and make sure the security type is WPA2 or WPA3.

If the router list is hard to read. A phone app such as Fing scans the network and shows every device with its maker, which helps identify vague entries. It cannot remove anything, so the password change is still the fix.