How do I know if someone is connected to my Wi-Fi?

Question

Computer networks

I looked at the clients in the settings, yes. There are only my devices.
Moreover, my network is closed and hidden. The password has changed several times.
But still there is a feeling that someone else is connected.

Usually the Internet is normal, but at a certain time, about once every few months, the speed starts to drop and interruptions appear. And this coincides with the return of my neighbor home (he works on shifts and the apartment is empty for months). Of course I suspect him.
Good people, tell me, is this paranoia, or is the smart-ass neighbor stealing the Internet? Is this even possible?

Answer 1

A neighbor can simply use a microwave, and your Wi-Fi can be buggy. It happens.
Or he has his own Wi-Fi, which works on the same channel and there may be a banal conflict. To possibly exclude the latter in the router, change the transmission channel to some other one. Better yet, install some kind of Wi-Fi Analyzer on your phone and see which channels are more busy and choose some freer one.

Answer 2

This is paranoia.
In addition to your wifi, there is also a provider's router in your entrance, to which all your neighbors are connected, and already from this router, most likely, the optics go to the provider's server room.
Therefore, the entire load from all neighbors still goes to one device. Apparently your neighbor is actively downloading something.
But he doesn't steal from you.

Answer 3

Hidden you made the network so that people think that the ether is freer than it really is? If anything, this "stealth" from anything in terms of attacks does not help, it just does not allow you to select your network from the list in the OS.
In all more or less large apartment buildings, the 2.4 GHz range is usually very heavily blocked - they still like to unscrew the power of the transmitters to the maximum, putting a pig on themselves and others. Switch to 5 GHz, there is much less chance of getting problems due to the congestion of the air.

Answer 4

Nakua he needs you - to steal? The neighbor is probably quite wealthy :) He is most likely drowning the network with something - you are connected to the same router with him (and all the other neighbors in the entrance too).
There are no "hidden" networks. If the SSID is hidden, then it simply will not appear in the selection list, but nevertheless, the frequency will be the same - and it may conflict.

Answer 5

Share the Internet with a neighbor and you will have no doubts.