Yesterday I was playing an online game with friends when we encountered someone using exploits. They threatened me and said "just say goodbye" before leaving. Today, when I got home from school, my phone and PC suddenly could not connect to any of my saved Wi‑Fi networks. I'm worried the person may have done something to my network, although I didn't download anything, open unusual websites, or run software they sent me. I tried unplugging and reconnecting the router, but the POWER and WEB lights are still red. What should I check, and what steps should I take to secure my accounts and network?
3 Answers
This sounds more like a router or internet-service problem than someone hacking you. A person you only encountered in a game usually can’t disable your home Wi‑Fi just by talking to you, especially if you didn’t download files, open suspicious links, or install anything. Unplug the router and modem from power, wait about a minute, reconnect the modem first, then wait a few minutes before powering the router back on. Also check whether there’s an outage with your internet provider.
On each device, try forgetting the saved Wi‑Fi network and connecting again by entering the password manually. If every device fails at the same time, focus on the router or service connection rather than the individual devices. Don’t factory-reset the router yet unless your provider or its instructions tell you to, because you may need the setup details afterward.
It’s still a good idea to review your security, but there’s no need to panic. Change important passwords from a device you trust, make sure each account has a different password, enable app-based two-factor authentication, and review recent sign-ins for anything unfamiliar. If you clicked a link or installed something later, run security scans and change passwords immediately.
I tried unplugging and reconnecting them, but the POWER and WEB lights are still red. I’ll check whether my provider is having an outage.