What to Do If You Change Your Router Password But Unknown Devices Keep Connecting?
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CuriousCat42
Hey everyone, I'm dealing with an issue where I've changed my router password, yet I still notice some unknown device connecting to my network. If I were hypothetically hacked, what should I do first? Should I reset the router and then change the devices' passwords, or the other way around? Also, if I'm using a new device that hasn't been connected to the network before, can I change the router password while on a compromised network? Thanks for any advice!
Answers
It sounds like you might need to do more than just change the password on your router. If there are still unknown devices popping up, a full factory reset of the router is probably necessary to kick out any intruders. After the reset, make sure to set strong, new passwords for both the admin interface and Wi-Fi. It's crucial to ensure your network is secure before reconnecting any of your devices.
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Changing your router password alone isn't enough if someone already has access to your network. If it's a Wi-Fi connection, you need to change the Wi-Fi password as well. For a wired connection, if your router uses unencrypted HTTP, someone could sniff your traffic to get your login info. How do you know about the unknown device connecting to your network?
CuriousCat42: I checked my router's security settings, and there was the unknown device. We only have five devices in total, so I know all of mine well. It’s quite alarming that this keeps happening.
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CuriousCat42: Thanks for the tip!