Wi-Fi expert reveals cheeky way Brits are stopping internet theft – and how to spot if you have a pirate next door

BRITS are renaming their Wi-Fi networks with cheeky titles in a bid to stop freeloading neighbours from stealing their internet, according to a new study.

Fears of Wi-Fi pinching neighbours have spiked during the cost of living crisis when broadband prices are rising, experts at cybersecurity firm ExpressVPN have revealed.

The biggest tell tale sign you have a pirate next door is if your Wi-Fi is slow without reasonGetty Images

The study, which surveyed over 1,000 people, found that over half of Brits don’t trust their neighbours not to nab their Wi-Fi.

While one in seven have caught a friend, family member or neighbour red-handed attempting to use their home network to access something ‘dodgy’, such as a the dark web.

“Brits are right to be concerned about the security implications – accessing someone else’s Wi-Fi, or vice versa, can lead to malware infections or even identity theft,” Lauren Hendry Parsons, privacy advocate for ExpressVPN explained.

“So always think twice about who’s connecting to your Wi-Fi, and who you have handed your Wi-Fi password out to in the past.”

Despite privacy concerns around neighbours using private their personal Wi-Fi, few Brits actually take steps to protect their home network.

This is mostly due to a lack of knowledge on the easy steps the average homeowner can take to secure their network, the study revealed.

As a result, some people have come up with more creative ways to deter pirating neighbours, such as changing the name of their Wi-Fi network.

Some of the unique Wi-Fi names found by ExpressVPN’s survey, include:

5G Test MastTV Licensing SurveillanceVirus infected Wi-FiThe FBI

Most are pretty innocent and clever, as ‘5G Test Mast’ is unlikely to be questioned by a freeloader.

But masking your Wi-Fi name won’t completely deter piracy, according to Parsons.

“Instead, equipping your connection with extra security precautions, such as a VPN to disguise internet traffic, and ensuring it utilises Wi-Fi encryption protocols, ideally WPA2, is essential,” she said.

How do can I tell if my neighbour is stealing my Wi-Fi?

The biggest tell tale sign is if your Wi-Fi is slow without reason.

If you’re home alone, you’re not downloading a new game or trying to stream a movie – there’s little reason for your internet connection to falter.

If you’re suspicious, check your Wi-Fi router’s status lights.

Turn off all your devices that are connected to the internet.

When no devices are connected to the Wi-Fi, the lights should not be flickering or flashing.

Modern routers are often accompanied by a mobile app, which can be used to scan your network for devices.

The trickiest way of checking if you’re not inadvertently paying for someone else’s WiFi use, is to login in to the Wi-Fi admin control panel.

You can do this by searching your IP address in a web browser.

Your IP address will look something like this: http://192.168.0.1/

Then you’ll need to type in the admin username, which can often be ‘admin’, and the admin password.

From there you can look for a network map, user log, or client list and see which devices are on your Wi-Fi and boot off any you don’t recognise.

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