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How to · Home WiFi
How to check if your WiFi is hacked
A compromised router rarely announces itself. These are the signs worth checking, from the router’s device list to the DNS servers it hands out.
Look for devices you don’t recognize in your router’s connected-devices list, DNS settings you didn’t set, admin passwords that no longer work, and redirects or certificate warnings on sites you use every day. If you see any of these, change the router admin password, update the firmware, set WPA2/WPA3 with a new WiFi password and, if in doubt, factory-reset the router.
Signs worth checking
| Unknown devices | The router app or admin page lists devices you can’t match to anything in your home. |
|---|---|
| Changed DNS servers | The router hands out DNS servers you didn’t choose. Attackers change DNS to steer you to fake sites. |
| Redirects and warnings | Familiar sites redirect elsewhere or show certificate warnings on your home network only. |
| Locked out | Your router admin password stops working, or settings change by themselves. |
| Unusual slowness | Weak on its own (lots of things slow WiFi), but worth checking with the other signs. |
How to check
- Open your router’s app or admin page (address on the router label) and review connected devices.
- Look at the DNS settings in the router. Note what is set; “automatic” or your internet provider is normal.
- On your phone, see which DNS servers the WiFi gives you. Our DNS guides show where for iPhone and Android.
- Run a network check: SentryFi compares DNS answers with trusted DNS, checks certificates and looks for a proxy. Different answers at home are a stronger signal than at a café.
- Compare on mobile data: if a site only misbehaves on your WiFi, the network is the likely cause.
If something looks wrong
- Change the router admin password (not just the WiFi password).
- Update the router firmware, or replace a router that no longer gets updates.
- Set WiFi security to WPA2 or WPA3 with a new, long password, and disable WPS if you don’t use it.
- Reset DNS to automatic or a resolver you choose.
- If you still see signs, factory-reset the router and set it up again from scratch.
- Change passwords for important accounts from a clean connection, such as mobile data.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone hack my WiFi and see my history?
Someone with access to your router can see which sites and services devices connect to, but not the content of encrypted HTTPS pages and apps. They can try to redirect you through DNS, which is why changed DNS settings matter.
Does changing the WiFi password remove a hacker?
It disconnects devices that only knew the old password. If the router itself was changed, also change the admin password, update firmware and check DNS settings, or factory-reset.
Can an app tell if my WiFi is hacked?
No app can prove it. SentryFi looks for warning signs such as unusual DNS answers, certificate problems and proxies, and Pro can alert you when a trusted network’s DNS or encryption changes.
