I live in an apartment building and I've recently had a frustrating issue with unauthorized devices connecting to my WiFi. Just tonight, I received a notification from Xfinity indicating that new devices were added to my network. I noticed a couple of devices that weren't mine, so I booted them off, but within about 30 minutes, they were back on my network, and even more showed up! I've kicked them off again, changed the password, renamed the WiFi network, and even made it hidden, but to no avail. After all this, I called support and they are sending me a new modem, which I hope will resolve the problem.
In the meantime, I've paused those devices on the network, but I want to know if there's anything else I can do to secure my WiFi and prevent these neighbors from accessing it in the first place. I'm not very tech-savvy, so I'm looking for any advice or insights on how they might be connecting and what steps I can take to lock them out for good!
4 Answers
Make sure WPS is disabled, and connect your devices with at least WPA2 security—or better yet, WPA3 if your devices support it. Also, look up the MAC addresses of the devices on your network since some may look unfamiliar but could actually be yours. Sometimes devices show up multiple times if they have MAC address randomization turned on. If those devices are identified, then they might not be the problem.
One thing to check is whether your modem is set up as a public Xfinity hotspot. This feature allows others to connect without realizing it, which could be why your neighbors are getting access. You can disable it through Xfinity settings to stop this from happening. Here's a link to help you out: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/disable-xfinity-wifi-home-hotspot
Yeah, they might not even know they're connecting. Disabling that could really help!
Instead of relying on ISP hardware, consider getting your own router. ISP-provided modems often have basic security that's easy to breach. If you use your own router, you will have more options for securing your network, plus you can often improve your speeds with better hardware.
I've had the same experience! Upgrading your router is a game changer.
If you can, set up MAC address filtering to only allow devices you trust. That way, if someone else tries to connect with a different MAC address, they won't be able to access your network. Just be aware that MAC addresses can be spoofed too, so it's not a foolproof method.
True, but with a bit of diligence, it can help keep unwanted users out.
Got it! I’ll double-check WPS after I get off. Thanks! And I’m sure none of the devices are mine. I verified the MAC addresses.