Think someone is using my wifi - how do I check?

[KatyMac]

It says 6 devises when I logged on to it

But only DH & I are here so maximum it should be my phone, his phone and my computer as his is off

I turned on my kindle and it went up to 7 and when I turned it off it went down to 6 again

I would just change the password but how do I know that's secure (as they much have got the passowrd somehow?)
What do I do?

Old phones / laptops. Have you upgraded since you got the new WiFi box? I still get phones from 5 years ago appearing on various lists (but when I click on them, they’ve been inactive/no data in or out for year or more since they were last connected.)

this was after i changed the password

The MAC address may also help identify the vendor/manufacturer of the device: the first three octets are an id (ie 00:03:02). Try putting them into macvendors.com and it may give you a clue.

OK, is the list definitely 'currently' connected devices? it should be less than before unless you've hooked them all up again.
You might need to reboot the router to see if it clears the list and check again.
In theory, most of your devices won't be connected since they no longer have the password (until you reconnect them with the correct one)

Xbox/playstation

Another thought. When I set up my phone it had an option to automatically share the WiFi password with FB friends. Could you be friends with a neighbour and them getting it through that?

I'll change the password again and add each one individually

This morning I only have my phone and DH's (both helpfully labelled 'android')

Hopefully I'll work this out

Are you with BT? BT will allow anyone in the area to log on to your wifi as a hotspot. I use it all the time when I'm out and about.

Are you with BT? BT will allow anyone in the area to log on to your wifi as a hotspot. I use it all the time when I'm out and about.

They don't. You are talking about BTs public hotspots which are all over the country.
Private routers in your home are private and not shared.
If you are with BT you can use either, but your router at home is just for you.

They don't.
They do...

Private routers in your home are private and not shared.
They are...

but your router at home is just for you.
It isn't...

bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10992/~/what-is-btwifi-with-fon%3F

Fon is a special router where they use your home to host the router, but it acts like two routers. Your private one and a public one. Your private one remains private.

BT with Fon, is a different service than normal and is not the standard for all BT customers.

Since March 2009, all new BT Broadband customers are automatically members of the Fon community and agree to securely share a portion of their wi-fi bandwidth through a separate channel on their hub.

I know what Klutzy is talking about Torn. One of my neighbours had this and I was able to pay a BT hourly/day rate and jump on it. Except the wanker would then turn it off! I would then complain to BT demanding a refund, and they explained they had no control over it if someone decided to physically turn off the power to the device in their own home. They couldn’t make him turn it back on.

There are loads of BT customers without FON depending on how long they've been with BT, but the service is separate from your own secure connection, just uses your connection from house to cabinet, thus some of your bandwidth.

We have loads of FON too. Daughter works for BT, but it's not really the problem this lady has. Your half of the router as such is yours and secure, the other half is FON (Not really half, just a channel) not everybody has FON though, depending on what router they have and when they signed up.

I'm pretty sure this isn't her issue.

There was a time, Pre 2009, that Fon was a separate entity to BT, I believe in other countries it still is a separate piece of kit.
But the company that 'Fon' is, Foneras,joined up with BT and they agreed to install Foneras onto the BT Hubs. That's why it's called 'Bt WiFi With Fon'
But that's not really the point.. because it shouldn't show up in connected devices list anyway.

If you have FON, you can opt in and out any time, but you lose access to public wifi whilst you're opted out (still have home access)

Easiest way to check is scan for wifi, see if there's a BT-Fon. Turn off the router, if it disappears you it's you sharing Fon

Does your TV still work OP? I'm pretty sure VirginTV needs an internet connection...

If you are with virgin it also operates hotspots so someone might be using that?

Does your TV still work OP? I'm pretty sure VirginTV needs an internet connection...

Virgin TV (as in TiVo ?) gets it's internet separately from any subscriber broadband the OP may have with Virgin.

OP hasn't stated if they are using their broadband providers router (which is almost guaranteed to be a bit shite) or their own router.

Assuming the router is clearing it's tables on reboot/restart (which it may not be doing, either by design, or fault) then it might be worth seeing what the logs are saying, and when devices are requesting a DHCP address. Also having a look at assigned DHCP addresses should tell you when they connected (or you can work it out from the remaining lease).

Depending on router make/model, it's possible to setup a rule to only allow "known" (from the MAC address) devices to connect.

The trouble with MAC addresses is it can be tricky to get the MAC address of stuff like TV etc - then you're left having to deduce which MAC address belongs to which device - it's all a bit too much for a basic user and a lot of supplied routers limit the options.

It's not clear if the list of current devices includs FON connected users or not. She could rapidly work this out by changing the PW and only connecting one device (her laptop to access the router config page). If more MAC addresses start showing up - then they must be FON users.
I would be surprised if you can block FON users and that's part of the agreement with FON. I would think it more likely that FON users don't show up at all.

The vast majority of users just stick with the router they are given.

Virgin TV (as in TiVo ?) gets it's internet separately from any subscriber broadband the OP may have with Virgin.
You can still connect it to your home internet (to use services like Virgin TV Anywhere or multiroom).

If that is so Monger, why when lately, when my Virgin internet and Tivo both started playing up at the same time, I was told that it was because the box is connected to the internet. So if one plays up, the other will too.

Depends what services you're using on the boxes and why it's needing internet for those services. If you've got an internet issue - then yes, lots of services can stop working - even if the 'core' service using another medium - i.e. Old Sky boxes use satellite to receive streams, but still use internet to connect to some services. The same with a BluRay player - it plays the disc in the machine, but can connect to the internet for some additional information or downloads etc. If you're internet is down, things start acting strangely!