Taking proper care of our wireless network is essential these days. Besides taking care of the security of our network, one of the things to take care of is the number of users connected to our wireless network. Checking this will tell us whether there are any unwanted or unauthorized connections.
However, keep in mind that more and more devices connect to our wireless network these days, like game consoles, wireless printers, smart TVs, and so on. There is no need to mention laptops, smartphones, and tablets because we are pretty aware that they are connected to our Wi-Fi. In this article, I am going to show you how to check the number of users connected to your Wi-Fi and what you can do to prevent unauthorized access to your network. But first, let’s take a look at the maximum number of users that can connect to your Wi-Fi or share your internet connection.
How Many Devices Can Connect to My Wireless Router?
Are you worried that too many users are connected to your wireless network? Well, if you are using your Wi-Fi at home, you shouldn’t worry too much about that. Generally, most routers support around 250 users or devices being connected at the same time. Please note that this number includes all the devices I mentioned, like laptops, smartphones, wireless printers, smart TVs, etc.
Each of the connected devices will use its part of the bandwidth, so the real problem is that when a large number of devices get connected, it can severely affect the performance of your network. For example, if just one device is abusing the bandwidth by downloading large files from the internet, it will make the connection almost unusable for other devices and users.
How to Check the Number of Users Connected to Wi-Fi?
Checking the number of connected users to the Wi-Fi network can be helpful in determining whether there are just too many connected users or any users you don’t recognize in the network.
In order to check the number of users connected to the Wi-Fi, you can do this from the router’s admin dashboard or by using an app or software installed on your device. So, let’s see how to do this properly.
Check the Router Admin Dashboard
Most routers will display the number of connected users to the network on their home screen. However, you need to know how to access the router’s admin dashboard in the first place.
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Connect your device to the wireless network or connect it directly to the router using an Ethernet cable.
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Find the router’s IP address. You can follow the steps described in this article or check the label on your router that has all the admin login details printed on it. You will also need the admin username and password, so take a look at the label as well.
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Now launch the web browser on your device, and enter the router’s IP address in the URL bar. Hit the Enter button or tap on Go if you are using a smartphone or a tablet, and the router login page should appear.
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Enter the admin username and password. Be careful because these are case-sensitive. Click on Login, and you should see the router admin dashboard if they are correct.
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Now, depending on the router brand or model, you will either see the number of connected devices on the home screen, or you will have to find them in the settings.
Some TP-Link, Netgear, Belkin, Asus, and Tenda routers will show this number on the home screen listed as Clients, Connected Devices, or Attached Devices. You will see a list of connected devices if you click on the Clients (Connected or Attached Devices) icon.
Usually, you will see the name of the device and its MAC address. This MAC address is unique for each device, and you can easily check the device’s MAC address and edit the name of the device so you can easily recognize it in the future.
Use A Network Scanner App or Software
Another way to find the number of connected users to your Wi-Fi is with the help of an app or software that can be installed on your smartphone or computer.
Some of the most recommended ones are:
GlassWire – a professional firewall and network scanner. Download the free version and install it on your computer. After you launch it, it will scan your network. Click on Things in the menu at the top, and you will see a list of the device currently connected to your network. Click on Scan at the top to refresh the list, and there you should see all the computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices connected to your Wi-Fi.
Wireless Network Watcher – a small tool that will scan your network and list all its connected devices. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download it on your Windows computer. Install and run the software, and you will see a list of all the devices that are connected to your network.
Fing – Network Scanner – This is an app that can be installed on your iPhone or Android phone. Find it in the App Store and install it. Follow the instructions when you run it for the first time. Then click on Scan for devices. You will see the number of devices in a second, and you shouldn’t have any trouble identifying who is using a specific device.
Use the Command Prompt on Windows
Another way to see the number of users connected to your network is by typing a specific command in the Command Prompt.
Launch the Command Prompt on your Windows machine. Click on the Start button, and in the search bar type cmd. Then press the Enter key, and the Command Prompt will launch.
N type ipconfig and press enter. This command will list some network details, and you really need the Default Gateway in this case just to know your router's IP address.
Now the command you want to use is arp -a. Type it in and press the Enter button.
All the connected devices will be listed here, along with their IP and MAC address. Since you have already found out that 192.168.0.1 is the router IP address, all the devices connected to the network will have their IP starting with 192.168.0.
How to Remove an Unwanted Device from the Network?
In most cases, when you check the number of users connected to your Wi-Fi network, you will recognize the devices. However, what can you do when you notice a device and simply can’t figure out what it is? It is either a neighbor connected to your network, or there is a device from your household that’s using its part of the bandwidth.
Well, if you want to remove such devices/users, here are a few suggestions.
Change Your Wireless Password – Changing the wireless password is the best thing you can do at the moment. However, you need to know that you will have to reconnect all your other devices to the wireless network after you change the password.
In order to change it you have to log in to the router admin dashboard as described above and then find the Wi-Fi section. Depending on the router brand and model, you should search for Wireless, Wireless Security, Wi-Fi, and similar. When you access this section in the menu, you should see the Wireless Password field, also named ad Password, Pre-shared Key (PSK), and so on.
Block the Device from The Network - This method also requires you to access the router settings. Once you log in, you should find the Access Control or Bandwidth Control section. If Access Control is disabled, you will have to enable it first and then set the Access Control Mode to Block. From this point on, you can add devices you want to block from your network by clicking the Add device button. Enter their MAC address, select them from the list, and save the changes.
Some other methods include using MAC filtering, creating a separate wireless network for your guests and visitors, or using the Parental Controls on your router. However, the two I have just described are most effective in kicking an unwanted device or user from your network.
Final Words
I hope that you now know how to find the number of users connected to your Wi-Fi network and how to remove the unwanted ones from it.
So, whenever you notice that your internet connection is becoming really slow, it is good to check whether someone is abusing your bandwidth. If you find anyone suspicious, you will know what to do. After all, only the ones you know and allow should have access to your network. Anyone else is not welcome because they can easily access your personal files and data, use the bandwidth or just mess up your network and make it unusable. Because of that, you will have to set up your network again, so it’s better to act before it happens.