Cybersecurity is more important than many people think. When an intruder connects to your WiFi, they are using your connection—without authorization. And in some cases, they may be able to access or intercept private data from the devices in your home, like messages, images, school files, streaming accounts, and more.
There are many ways to kick an unwanted device off your network, but one seems to be really effective: blocking the device’s MAC address directly from your router settings. Once you do this, that specific device won’t be able to connect again, even if it knows your WiFi password. The network looks unavailable from the intruder side. No warning, no pop-up, just no connection whatsoever.
What’s MAC blocking?
Every network-connected device, including smart TVs, laptops, tablets, and phones, has a MAC address—and no, it has nothing to do with apple. This address is what the router uses to recognize each device that’s trying to connect.
This is necessary for MAC filtering. It enables you to create a block list—a list of MAC addresses you do not want on your WiFi—inside the router. Even if someone enters the correct password, the router instantly rejects a device whose MAC address is added to that list.
This is especially useful if you’ve noticed that the same intruder keeps coming back. Maybe you changed your password, but somehow an unauthorized device appears again in the list of connected devices. With MAC blocking, you go one step further. Rather than repeatedly playing “change the password,” you inform your router that this particular device is no longer allowed to enter.
Step-by-step: how to block an intruder from your WiFi
1. Go to the settings page on your router.
Launch a browser (like Chrome or Firefox) and enter the router’s IP address in the address bar. It’s usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Then press Enter.
Your admin username and password will be requested. If you or your family have never changed them, they are usually printed on a label stuck to the router, or in the provider’s manual.
2. Find the access control or MAC filter section
Once on the configuration menu, look for the option that controls which devices can connect: it’s usually something like “MAC Filtering”, “Access Control”, or “Wireless Control”.
3. Activate the blacklist feature.
Most routers will show two options:
- Whitelist: only devices on the list can connect.
- Blacklist: all devices can connect except the ones you block.
You want to use the “Deny” or blacklist option to get rid of intruders. This tells the router to keep working as usual, but to refuse any MAC address you add there.
4. Find the MAC address of the intruder
Most routers show you a list of all devices currently connected. The device name, IP address, and MAC address are usually visible. You can then identify a foreign device. If the menu allows it, you can choose the MAC address directly or copy it.
5. Add the MAC to the blacklist and save
After identifying the intruder’s MAC address, you add it to the blacklist and confirm the changes. Some routers will ask you to restart them so the new rule can take effect.
Keeping your home WiFi safer with cybersecurity
Blocking a MAC address is a powerful way to protect your network, especially if an intruder keeps coming back.
It’s still a good idea to remember a few simple habits though: change your password if you have shared it too much, only give it to people you trust, and from time to time check the list of connected devices in your router settings. If something looks weird, you now know there is an easy way to remove it and keep your data safe.