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To check who is using your Wi-Fi, open your router’s official app or web dashboard and look for Connected Devices, Clients, Attached Devices, Device List, or Network Map. The list normally identifies devices—not the people using them.
Use the router’s list first, then match each entry with phones, computers, TVs, smart-home equipment, guests, and wired devices in your home. If a device remains unidentified, secure the network rather than assuming it is automatically an intruder.
The fastest way to see devices on your Wi-Fi
- Connect your phone or computer to your home network.
- Open the router or mesh system’s official app. If there is no app, open the router’s local administration page in a browser.
- Sign in with the router administrator credentials.
- Open the connected-device, client, or network-map section.
- Record each device’s name, manufacturer, IP address, MAC address, connection type, and status.
- Compare the entries with every device in your home, including equipment connected by Ethernet.
- Refresh the list or temporarily disconnect known devices to investigate anything unfamiliar.
Menu names and available details vary by manufacturer, model, firmware, and app version.
Current devices versus recently connected devices
Not every entry proves that a device is connected right now. Routers and mesh systems may show several different categories:
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- Currently connected: A device with an active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
- Recently connected: A device remembered by the router after it went offline.
- Known: A device previously named, approved, or assigned to a profile.
- Unknown: An entry the router cannot confidently associate with a recognizable name or brand.
For example, Google Home’s device view for Google Nest Wifi and Google Wifi can include devices that used the network during the previous 30 days, so a listed device is not necessarily online at that exact moment. Open Google Home → Home → Wi-Fi → Devices to view the list. Google’s view can include both Wi-Fi and Ethernet clients: Google’s device-list documentation.
How to check common Wi-Fi systems
Google Nest Wifi and Google Wifi
In the Google Home app, go to Home → Wi-Fi → Devices. Review the device names, connection information, and activity. Keep the distinction between active and recently used devices in mind when investigating an unfamiliar entry.
eero
Open the eero app and use the Home or Devices tab. Depending on the product and app version, eero can show active and recently active devices, IP and MAC addresses, manufacturer, hostname, connection type, Wi-Fi band, activity, and the connected eero unit: eero’s device-list guide and eero’s device-information reference.
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After identifying a client, assign a nickname such as Living-room TV or Kitchen camera. eero notes that a device can appear more than once when it has separate Wi-Fi and Ethernet interfaces or has connected through both methods. Its manufacturer field may also identify the network-chip maker rather than the finished product’s brand: eero’s identification guidance.
ASUS, NETGEAR, TP-Link, and other routers
Sign in to the official app or local web interface and look for a client or connected-device page. Examples include:
- NETGEAR Nighthawk: The device list is available from the router’s basic home screen; exact labels vary by model and firmware. See NETGEAR’s instructions.
- TP-Link: Compatible routers commonly expose connected clients after signing in, sometimes through
tplinkwifi.netor a local IP address. See TP-Link’s administration guide. - ASUS: ASUS routers provide a connected-device view, although fields and controls differ by model. See ASUS support.
- TP-Link Deco: Supported Deco systems can provide client details such as online/offline status and wireless information. See TP-Link’s Deco documentation.
For an ISP-supplied router, start with the ISP’s app or support documentation. If you use a modem/router plus a separate router, mesh system, extender, or access point, inspect each relevant management interface.
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How to find your router’s address
Windows 10 and Windows 11
Open Command Prompt and run:
ipconfigUnder the active Wi-Fi adapter, find Default Gateway. Enter that private address in your browser. Common examples include 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.0.1, but use the address shown on your computer rather than guessing.
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macOS
Open System Settings → Wi-Fi, open the details for the connected network, and look for the router or TCP/IP information. As a Terminal fallback, run:
networksetup -getinfo Wi-FiSome Macs use a differently named network service, so the command may need to be adjusted.
iPhone, iPad, and Android
iPhone and iPad do not normally provide a universal screen listing every device on the home network. Android menus vary by manufacturer and version. For a complete household list on either platform, use the router or mesh app, or open its administration page.
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| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Name or hostname | A self-reported label. It may be useful, generic, blank, abbreviated, or misleading. |
| Manufacturer | Often inferred from the network adapter’s address. It may identify a chipset maker rather than the consumer brand. |
| IP address | The device’s current local-network address. It can change over time. |
| MAC address | The network address currently presented by the interface. Privacy features can make it different from the hardware address. |
| Connection type | Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Wired clients still use your home network even though they are not wireless clients. |
| Band | Usually 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz, where supported. |
| Access point or mesh node | The physical router or mesh unit serving the device. |
| Status and usage | Online, offline, paused, blocked, recently active, or bandwidth activity, depending on the system. |
How to identify an unfamiliar device
Before treating an unknown entry as an attack, count all the equipment that may use the network:
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- Phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, watches, and e-readers
- Smart TVs, streaming sticks, game consoles, and printers
- Smart speakers, cameras, doorbells, thermostats, lights, hubs, and security systems
- Robot vacuums, appliances, network-attached storage, and other smart-home products
- Wi-Fi extenders, mesh nodes, switches, access points, and other networking hardware
- Visitors’ devices and equipment connected by Ethernet
Then compare the router’s hostname, manufacturer, IP, MAC address, last-seen time, connection type, mesh node, network name, and data usage. Temporarily turn off Wi-Fi on known devices one at a time, refresh the router list, and watch which entry disappears. This is generally more reliable than guessing from a manufacturer name.
Once confirmed, rename devices with meaningful labels. A clear inventory makes future checks much faster.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why a legitimate device may look unknown
Private and randomized Wi-Fi addresses
Apple devices can use a different private Wi-Fi address for each network and may rotate that address. On iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia 15, watchOS 11, and later, Apple provides Off, Fixed, and Rotating options in supported circumstances: Apple’s Private Wi-Fi Address guide.
Android 10 and later can also use another MAC address for Wi-Fi connections: Google’s Android documentation. Windows supports random hardware addresses globally or for individual saved networks.
As a result, a phone or computer may not match an address printed on its packaging, may appear as a new entry after a network change, or may be labeled unknown. Do not disable these privacy features merely because the router’s label is unfamiliar; they reduce tracking across networks. Consider changing the setting only when troubleshooting a genuine compatibility problem, and understand the privacy trade-off.
Chipset names are not always product brands
A Samsung phone, Lenovo laptop, or generic smart plug may appear under the name of its Wi-Fi or Ethernet chipset maker, such as Intel, Qualcomm, or MediaTek. That name alone is not evidence of an unknown device.
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Duplicate entries and multiple routers
The same equipment can appear more than once because it has Wi-Fi and Ethernet interfaces, reconnects with a different private address, or is represented by both a historical entry and a current lease. A second router can also make the upstream router see only the downstream router, while the downstream device sees the household clients.
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What to do if a device really is unauthorized
If you are still uncertain
- Record the unfamiliar entry’s manufacturer, IP, MAC address, status, and last-seen time.
- Disconnect known devices and refresh the list.
- Check guest networks and wired connections.
- Consider private addresses, duplicate interfaces, historical entries, and multi-router topology.
If the evidence is strong
- Use Pause, Block, Remove, or Deny access if your router provides it.
- Change the Wi-Fi password and reconnect trusted devices.
- Change the router administrator password separately.
- Use WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal security where supported.
- Update the router’s firmware.
- Review guest-network access and disable remote administration unless needed.
- Check for unknown port-forwarding rules and changed DNS settings.
- Recheck the device list after the password change.
Changing the Wi-Fi password is usually more reliable than blocking one MAC address. A device may reconnect with a different private address, use another access point, or be behind another router. Blocking also may remove access without removing a historical entry, and it does not identify the person behind the device.
Are Wi-Fi scanner apps better?
A network-scanning app can supplement the router’s list, especially when the router interface is confusing. It may discover devices on the local subnet, but it is not automatically authoritative for Wi-Fi association.
A scanner can miss sleeping, isolated, or firewalled devices; may not distinguish wired from wireless clients; may not see devices behind a second router; and cannot reliably reveal the human owner. Consider advertising, subscriptions, privacy, and data-collection practices before installing one. For this question, the router or mesh system remains the best first source because it records clients authenticated to that network.
What your router cannot tell you
A basic device list normally cannot prove:
- Which person is using a particular device
- What websites someone visited
- The contents of encrypted traffic
- Whether an unknown entry is malicious
- Whether an offline device has left the home
- Whether a device is using cellular data instead of Wi-Fi
- Whether a device connected through a neighboring or building-wide network
Some advanced products offer bandwidth reports or domain information, but those capabilities vary. Do not assume that a connected-device list includes browsing history.
When replacing the router might help
You do not need a new router merely to view connected devices: most modern routers provide some form of client list. Consider replacement only if your current equipment lacks clear live-status information, has poor guest-network controls, no longer receives firmware updates, or makes it difficult to change passwords and review access.
When comparing a replacement, look for clear separation between current and historical clients, IP/MAC/manufacturer details, guest-network controls, pause/block functions, mesh-node identification, local web access, firmware support, and reasonable privacy and account requirements. A scanner app or new router cannot identify the person using a device by itself.
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