How to Kick Someone Off Your WiFi

If your internet is suddenly slow and you suspect someone unauthorized is on your network — a neighbor who guessed your password, a device you don't recognize, or an ex who still has the WiFi password — here's how to find them and remove them.

Step 1: See Who's Connected

Log into your router's admin panel to see every device currently on your network:

192.168.1.1 — NETGEAR, Linksys, ASUS, Spectrum, Verizon
192.168.0.1 — D-Link, TP-Link, Cox, CenturyLink
10.0.0.1 — Xfinity/Comcast

Look for a section called "Connected Devices," "Attached Devices," "Client List," or "DHCP Client List." You'll see a list of device names, IP addresses, and MAC addresses.

Identifying devices can be tricky — many show up as cryptic names like "android-abc123" or just a MAC address. Count your known devices (phones, laptops, tablets, smart TV, game consoles, smart home devices) and see if the number matches. Unknown devices are your suspects.

Step 2: The Nuclear Option — Change Your Password

The fastest and most effective way to kick everyone off your WiFi — including unauthorized users — is to simply change your WiFi password. Every device will disconnect immediately and need the new password to reconnect. Only give the new password to people you want on your network.

This is the recommended approach because:

It works 100% of the time
No technical knowledge needed beyond logging into your router
MAC address filtering (below) can be bypassed; a password change can't

Step 3: Block Specific Devices (MAC Filtering)

If you want to block a specific device without changing the password for everyone, use MAC address filtering. Every network device has a unique MAC address (like a hardware serial number for networking).

In your router admin, find the device you want to block in the connected devices list
Copy its MAC address (looks like AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF)
Navigate to Access Control, MAC Filtering, or Wireless MAC Filter
Add the MAC address to the deny/block list
Save — the device will be kicked off and can't reconnect

Location in popular routers:

NETGEAR: Advanced → Security → Access Control
ASUS: Wireless → Wireless MAC Filter
TP-Link: Wireless → Wireless MAC Filtering
Xfinity: xFi app → Connected Devices → select device → Pause Device

Important: MAC filtering is not foolproof security. Technical users can spoof (change) their MAC address. It's useful for kicking off a neighbor or a known device, but don't rely on it as your only security measure. A strong WPA2/WPA3 password is your real defense.

ISP App Method

ISP apps make this easier than digging through router settings:

Xfinity xFi: Devices → select the unknown device → Pause Device (blocks internet access)
Spectrum: My Spectrum app → Devices → select device → Block
AT&T Smart Home Manager: Devices → select device → Block
Verizon My Fios: Internet → Devices → select → Pause

Prevent Future Unauthorized Access

Use a strong password — at least 12 characters, mix of letters/numbers/symbols. See how to change it
Use WPA2/WPA3 — never WEP or open. See WPA2 vs WPA3 comparison
Disable WPS — WiFi Protected Setup has known vulnerabilities and lets devices connect with a PIN that can be brute-forced. Turn it off in your router settings
Hide your SSID — optional and not real security (hidden networks can still be found), but it stops casual freeloaders
Change the router admin password — if someone gets into your router admin, they can change anything. Don't leave it as the default (check defaults)