How to find out who is connected to the access point Xiaomi: instructions

In the digital age, home Wi-Fi has become an integral part of everyday life, but with convenience comes the risk of unauthorized use of your Internet connection. Owners of the popular Xiaomi ecosystem often wonder how to effectively control the list of connected gadgets to avoid traffic theft or speed reduction. Modern routers and software hotspots offer powerful tools for monitoring, but not all users know where to look for this information.

There are several proven ways to identify β€œguests” on your network, ranging from built-in mobile app features to in-depth analysis through the web administrator interface. Understanding who is connected to the Xiaomi hotspot is the first step to keeping your personal data secure. In this article, we’ll take a look at each method, look at the nuances of working with different router and smartphone models, and give recommendations for preventing future intrusions.

Don't ignore the signs of an outsider connection, such as a sudden drop in speed or flashing activity indicators even in a simple one. Timely detection of an uninvited guest will allow you to quickly respond and block access, keeping the entire home network stable. Let's move on to practical diagnostic methods.

Using the Mi Home app to monitor the network

The easiest and most affordable way to check the list of connected devices for smartphone owners is to use the official Mi Home application. This software suite serves as the central control of the entire smart home ecosystem and provides a convenient visual interface for monitoring traffic. After logging in to the application, you need to select your router from the list of available devices on the home screen.

When you go to your router card, look for a section that is usually called Connected Devices or Customers, and it shows you the full details of every gadget you're on the network right now, and you'll see the name of the device (if it's recognized), its name. MAC-address and current data rate, allowing for the instant identification of suspicious activity.

The convenience of the app is that you can instantly block unwanted users from the screen of your smartphone. You don't need to be an expert in networking to use this feature - just click on a particular device and select the access restriction option. However, it is worth remembering that to work this method, the smartphone and router must be associated with the same Mi Account.

⚠️ Warning: If you see a device called "Unknown" or a strange set of characters, it doesn't always mean hacking. Often, this is a display of smart home devices that aren't widely known in the manufacturer's database.

πŸ“Š How do you prefer to manage the network?
Through the Mi Home app
Through the web interface in the browser
I use third-party software.
I don't check connected devices.

Verification through the web interface of the router administrator

More detailed and technical information can be obtained by logging into the router control panel via a browser, which is considered a classic method and works on any device, whether it is a computer, tablet or phone, regardless of the operating system installed. First, you need to connect to your Wi-Fi network and open any browser.

The address bar should be entered IP-The gateway address, which by default for Xiaomi devices most often looks like 192.168.31.1 or miwifi.com. After entering the address, the system will ask for the administrator password - this is the code you set when you first set up the router, and it may differ from the password of the Wi-Fi network itself.

Once you have successfully logged in, you will see a control panel where you can find the Settings or Status tab, and look for the Client List or Network Map section, which provides the most accurate information, including connection times and connection type (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz).

The web interface also allows you to set up more flexible rules, such as limiting speeds for certain devices or setting an access schedule, a powerful tool for advanced users who want to have full control over network settings and bandwidth distribution.

β˜‘οΈ Network security check

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Customer List Analysis: How to Distinguish Your Devices

When you get a list of connected subscribers, the most difficult task is often to identify each device. Electronics manufacturers use different naming protocols, and sometimes instead of an understandable "Iphone-Ivan," you can see a set of numbers or an acronym for a chip, such as an Espressif or a Realtek.

For proper identification, it is recommended to make a list of all your gadgets and their MAC-address. MAC-The address is a unique identifier of the network interface, which consists of six pairs of hexadecimal digits separated by colons (OUI) can prompt the manufacturer of the device, which greatly simplifies the search.

Note the data activity. If a device that is supposed to be in sleep mode (such as a smart light bulb or refrigerator) shows a high amount of downloaded data, this is a reason for a deeper analysis. It is also worth considering that modern smartphones can use the function of β€œRandomization”. MAC-addresses to protect privacy, whereby the same device can be displayed under different identifiers when reconnected.

The table below gives examples of typical names and manufacturers that can be found in the list of Xiaomi router customers:

Displayed nameProbable deviceChip manufacturerType of connection
MI 11 / Redmi NoteXiaomi SmartphoneQualcommWi-Fi 5/6
lumi.gatewaySmart home gatewayZigBee/Wi-FiPermanent.
ESP8266 / ESP32Smart socket/lampEspressifPeriodic
Unknown DeviceTV set-top box or laptopDifferent.High activity
What is it? MAC-filtering?
MAC-Filtering is a security technique where the router only lets devices with pre-approved addresses online, a reliable way of protecting them, but it requires manual registration of each new gadget, which can be inconvenient when guests come in frequently.

SSID concealment function and guest mode

One of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized connections is to hide your network name (SSID).When this feature is activated, your Wi-Fi stops broadcasting your name to the air and it doesn't show up in the list of available networks on neighbors' phones. To connect, you'll have to manually enter your network name and password on each new device.

The second powerful tool is the guest network, and Xiaomi routers allow you to create a separate virtual access channel with your own name and password, and guests connect to it, accessing the Internet, but they can't see your main devices, like laptops, NAS-storehouse.

Guest mode also allows you to set speed and time limits, which makes the controls even more flexible, especially if you often take people or rent out, as the main password from the home network remains secret.

⚠️ Attention: Hiding SSID Power users with the right software can still detect the hidden network over the service packets, so this method should be used in conjunction with reliable encryption.

Configuring password and encryption protocols

The security of your access point depends on the complexity of the password and the encryption protocol you choose. Make sure your router settings choose WPA2-PSK or, better yet, WPA3 if your devices support this modern protocol. Avoid using outdated WEP or WPA-TKIP encryption, as they are easily hackable.

The password should be long enough (at least 12 characters) and contain a mixture of letters of different registers, numbers and special characters. Do not use obvious combinations such as dates of birth, phone numbers or simple sequences like β€œ12345678”. Xiaomi routers often have the function of generating a random password when you first turn it on – it is better to save it or replace it with your complex version.

Changing your password regularly is also good practice, especially if you suspect someone may have learned your access data. Once you change your password, all devices will shut down and you will have to re-authenticate on each of them, ensuring that all potential intruders will be disconnected.

πŸ’‘

Use your smartphone password manager to store complex character combinations for Wi-Fi. This will save you the need to remember long codes and allow you to quickly find them when connecting new devices.

What to do if you find a stranger online

If you find a stranger on your connected device list, you need to act quickly and decisively. The first step should always be to change the password immediately from the Wi-Fi network, which will throw out all connected users, including the attacker, and only those who know the new password will be able to return to the network.

In parallel, it is recommended to check the router settings for changes that may have been made by an uninvited guest. DNS-servers, remote ports are not open, and new administrator accounts are not created, and sometimes hackers leave backdoors to re-enter.

After cleaning the network, analyze how access might have been obtained, perhaps you have given a password to too many people, or it was recorded in a prominent place, and then use the guest network feature for visitors to isolate the main infrastructure of the house.

πŸ’‘

Changing your Wi-Fi password is the only 100% guaranteed way to instantly disconnect all unauthorized users from your network without having to reset your router to factory settings.

Can a neighbor steal my internet if I change my password?
If you changed your password to a complex one and updated the encryption protocol to WPA2/WPA3, But if you have a virus on your computer that steals passwords, or if you use a feature, you can't just connect. WPS (It's easy to hack, it's still possible. WPS router-setting.
Does the number of connected devices affect the speed of the Internet?
Yes, directly. The communication channel is shared among all active users. If any of the connected devices (yours or someone else's) starts downloading large files or watching videos in 4K, the speed on the other gadgets will inevitably drop, which is why customer list control is so important for stable operation.
How to lock the device permanently?
In the web interface of the Xiaomi router or the Mi Home application, you can add MAC-The device's Blacklist address, after which, even if it knows the Wi-Fi password, the device will not be able to physically connect to your access point because the router will reject its hardware-level requests.
Why do the names Android or iPhone appear on the list of devices without specification?
This is standard operating system behavior, which hides a particular device model for privacy purposes. MAC-address or temporarily turn off Wi-Fi on your gadgets in turn, watching for the disappearance of entries in the router list.