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Home Wi-Fi

You can use Kaspersky application to get information about all smart devices in your home. Go to the Home Wi-Fi section to see which devices we were able to detect.

In this section

Smart Home Monitor

Wi-Fi Analyzer

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[Topic 245276][Topic 138202]

About the Smart Home Monitor component

Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

Hackers could potentially capture your password or hack into your home network to take advantage of your Internet or steal your data. Kaspersky application protects your wireline Ethernet networks and Wi-Fi networks against unauthorized connections.

As soon as you confirm that your home network is detected correctly, we begin monitoring devices connected to that network and some vulnerabilities such as a weak Wi-Fi password or router encryption. If we detect vulnerabilities or a new device on the network that you have not previously identified as a known device, we will warn you about it and suggest recommendations to let you take steps to protect your home network and devices that use it.

Notifications about home network vulnerabilities are only available in Kaspersky Premium. Notifications about new devices connecting to your home network are available in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

When the device connects to your network, Kaspersky application prompts you to confirm if the network is your home network. If you confirm that it is your home network, the application asks if you want to view devices connected to the network:

You can disable Smart Home Monitor. When you disable the component, Kaspersky application stops notifying you about connections to your network.

To learn other available security methods for connecting to Wi-Fi networks, visit the Kaspersky Support website.

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[Topic 138204]

How to enable or disable Smart Home Monitor

To enable or disable Smart Home Monitor:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Click Settings button in the lower part of the window.

    This opens the Settings window.

  3. Select the Security settings section.
  4. Select the Firewall component.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • To enable Smart Home Monitor, select the Show devices that are connected to my networks check box.
    • To disable Smart Home Monitor, clear the Show devices that are connected to my networks check box.
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[Topic 139737]

How to view devices on my network

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Kaspersky application shows the following information about devices connected to your Wi-Fi network or the wireline Ethernet network:

  • Device name
  • Device manufacturer
  • Device type (e.g., computer, mobile device, router, gaming console, or video camera)
  • Operating system installed on the device
  • MAC address (unique network ID of the device)
  • IP address of the device
  • Time when disconnected devices were last detected in the network
  • Kaspersky applications installed on your device

If a router is detected on your home network, its device card will suggest installing Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection on the router to enable Kaspersky VPN. Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

Kaspersky VPN functionality is not available in some regions.

How to view devices that are connected to your network

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Go to the Home Wi-Fi section, and click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • In the main application window, click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • Click the <network name> link that is displayed in the lower part of the main window.

    The Smart Home Monitor window opens, showing the network to which your computer is connected.

  3. Select the Show information on my mobile devices about other devices on this network check box, if you want to transfer information about devices connected to this network to your mobile devices.
  4. To see the devices connected to the network, click Yes, show my devices.

    The Smart Home Monitor window displays:

    • Devices that are currently connected to your network.
    • Devices that were connected to your network some time ago.
    • Device status in the network:
      • Connected devices are colored green;
      • Disconnected devices are colored gray;
      • New devices are indicated as new.

How to change the device name

  1. Select the relevant device from the list of devices in the Smart Home Monitor window.

    A window opens to display information about this device.

  2. Enter the new device name in the Device name field.

How to change the device type

  1. Select the relevant device from the list of devices in the Smart Home Monitor window.

    A window opens to display information about this device.

  2. In the Device type field click Select type to go to the Device type window.
  3. In that window, select device category and type, for example, Home appliancesRefrigerator).
  4. Click the Save button.
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[Topic 139739]

How to deny network access for a device

To deny network access for a device:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Go to the Home Wi-Fi block, and click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • In the main application window, click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • Click the <network name> link that is displayed in the lower part of the main window.
  3. In the Smart Home Monitor window, select the device that you want to disconnect.

    This opens a window with information about this device that includes information about the MAC address of the device.

  4. Write down the MAC address of the device
  5. Block the device MAC address in your router settings. Visit the website of the specific vendor to view the User Guide for your router.

After the MAC address is blocked, the device will not be able to connect to your network.

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[Topic 203916]

How to delete a network with no connections from the list

To delete a network with no connections from the list:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Go to the Home Wi-Fi block, and click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • In the main application window, click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
  3. Click the <network name> link that is displayed in the lower part of the main window.

    This takes you to the Smart Home Monitor window.

  4. Click the arrow in the right part of the list to expand it and click Delete device next to the network that you want to remove.

The network will be deleted from the list.

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[Topic 203927]

How to disable notifications when devices connect to my network

To disable notifications when devices connect to the network:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Go to the Home Wi-Fi block, and click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • In the main application window, click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • Click the <network name> link that is displayed in the lower part of the main window.
  3. In the Smart Home Monitor window, click the Horizontal dots button next to the network and select the item Disable notifications.

Kaspersky application will no longer show you notifications if any devices connect to this network.

You can also disable notifications for the selected network when Kaspersky application shows you a notification that a device has connected to this network. To do this, in the notification window click the link Disable notifications for this network.

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[Topic 198711]

How to send feedback about Smart Home Monitor

To send feedback to Kaspersky about the operation of the Smart Home Monitor component:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Go to the Home Wi-Fi block, and click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • In the main application window, click the View button in the Smart Home Monitor section.
    • Click the <network name> link that is displayed in the lower part of the main window.
  3. In the Smart Home Monitor window, click the Horizontal dots button and select the item Send feedback.

    This opens the Help us improve! Leave your feedback window.

  4. Please rate the component on a 5-point scale by choosing from 1 to 5 stars.
  5. If you awarded a component 3-5 stars:
    1. If you want to add a comment to your feedback, enter it in the Details field.
    2. Select the I agree to provide my personal data (unique ID of my computer) to improve the software and I accept the terms of the Privacy Policy check box.
  6. If you awarded a component 1-2 stars:
    1. If you want to notify Kaspersky about a problem with the Smart Home Monitor component, select the subject with the closest meaning from the Topic drop-down list.

      You can select one of the following options from the list:

      • Inconvenient to use. Select this item if you are experiencing inconveniences when using the Smart Home Monitor component.
      • Application takes a long time to search for devices in the network. Select this item if the Smart Home Monitor component is operating too slowly.
      • Application incorrectly identifies devices in the network. Select this item if the application incorrectly determines the names and/or types of devices connected to the Wi-Fi network or the wireline Ethernet network.
      • Too many notifications about new devices in the network. Select this item if the application shows you too many notifications about new devices in the Wi-Fi network or the wireline Ethernet network.
      • Reduced computer performance. Select this item if the use of the Smart Home Monitor component slows the performance of your computer.
      • Cannot configure the component. Select this item if you experience difficulties when configuring the Smart Home Monitor component.
      • Other. Select this item if the problem you are experiencing is not covered by the other items.
    2. If you want to add a comment to your feedback, enter it in the Details field.
    3. Select the I agree to provide my personal data (unique ID of my computer) to improve the software and I accept the terms of the Privacy Policy check box.
  7. Click the Send button.

When this data is sent, Kaspersky receives and processes the following information:

  • Your feedback, which contains an assessment of component performance, the issue topic, and comments.
  • Operating system information and version.
  • Information about the installed application and its version.

Kaspersky receives and processes this information in encrypted form for the purpose of analyzing errors and improving the performance of the Smart Home Monitor component. Kaspersky does not require you to provide any personal information when sending feedback, and does not collect such information. For details on how personal data is processed, please refer to the Kaspersky Privacy Policy.

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[Topic 159650]

Wi-Fi Analyzer

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Available only in Kaspersky Premium.

The performance of your smart devices depends on the quality of your Wi-Fi signal. Adjacent networks often use the same communication channels. As a result, interference and high network load can cause your Wi-Fi connectivity to deteriorate. Wi-Fi Analyzer can help you learn more about your home Wi-Fi network, find the optimum place for the router in your home, choose the least busy communication channel and otherwise improve your Wi-Fi setup.

How to proceed to Wi-Fi Analyzer configuration

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Go to the Home Wi-Fi section.
  3. In the Wi-Fi Analyzer block, click the View button.

This opens the Wi-Fi Analyzer window.

Window displaying Wi-Fi networks

Wi-Fi Analyzer window

How to check Wi-Fi signal strength

In the Wi-Fi Analyzer window, accessible Wi-Fi networks are displayed on the graph as parabolas.

On the vertical axis of the graph you can estimate the

. The taller the parabola of your home network, the better the Wi-Fi signal is.

The following values of Wi-Fi signal strength approximately correspond to its quality:

  • excellent: -35 to -50 dBm
  • good: -50 to -65 dBm
  • fair: -65 to -75 dBm
  • poor: -75 to -85 dBm
  • unacceptable: -85 to -100 dBm.

    Recommendation: Move the router to a different spot in your home or bring your device closer to the router. The best way to place the router is at a height of 1 to 2 meters, away from electric appliances and spots where the signal might be blocked by walls or furniture.

Some more advice on Wi-Fi router placement:

  • Do not install your Wi-Fi router next to electrical appliances (fridge, TV, desktop computer) or other devices that can emit radio waves (microwave oven, wireless phone). Electrical appliances are a source of radio frequency noise and magnetic fields. Microwave ovens operate at approximately the same frequency (2.4 GHz) as wireless networks used by routers use, which can potentially severely degrade the router's Wi-Fi signal or even completely jam it.
  • Walls, windows, and other barriers can significantly attenuate Wi-Fi signal. It is also not recommended to install the router in places where its signal will be blocked by furniture, for example under a table or in a closet.
  • Do not install the router too high or too low. The router is best installed on a wall at a height of 1 or 2 meters.
  • If possible, the router should not be installed within the area of coverage of other Wi-Fi routers.

How to switch to a less busy Wi-Fi channel

In the Wi-Fi Analyzer window, you can see which channel your Wi-Fi is working on and estimate the load on this channel.

On the Wi-Fi network graph, channels are displayed along the horizontal axis.

Recommendation: If you see that the channel used by your Wi-Fi router is very busy (much overlap with other Wi-Fi networks), you can manually change the channel in Wi-Fi router settings or turn on the Select channel dynamically setting to let the Wi-Fi router choose the freest channel.

If the channel width of the current connection is 40 MHz, try configuring a 20 MHz channel width or choosing a less congested channel in router settings. Choose channel 1, 6, or 11, because they do not overlap.

To change the channel:

  1. In the Wi-Fi Analyzer window, select your home Wi-Fi network.
  2. In the card of the network, click Router settings to open the router configuration page in your browser.

For more details about changing the channel, refer to user manual of your router.

How to improve connection speed by changing the Wi-Fi operating mode

The operating mode of the Wi-Fi router affects connection speed. The following modes are currently in use:

  • b — works in the 2.4 GHz band. Speed up to 11 Mbps.
  • g — works in the 2.4 GHz band. Speed up to 54 Mbps. Compatible with the b mode. If your device only supports the b mode, it can also connect to the Wi-Fi router in g mode.
  • n — works in the 2.4 GHz band. Speed up to 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band (with 40 MHz of bandwidth). This mode offers the highest Wi-Fi speed in the 2.4 GHz band, but this mode is not supported by older devices. You can find more information about Wi-Fi modes that your device supports at the manufacturer's website.
  • ac — works only in the 5 GHz band. Data transmission speed up to 6.77 Gbps. This mode is only supported by dual-band Wi-Fi routers that operate at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

Most modern routers operate in mixed b / g / n mode when using the 2.4 GHz band, which lets them offer maximum compatibility to connecting devices.

Recommendation: If you are only using recently made devices, try switching from the b / g / n mixed mode to the highest-speed n mode for routers that use the 2.4 GHz band. For dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz routers, the n / ac mixed mode is more suitable.

To change Wi-Fi router operating mode:

  1. In the Wi-Fi Analyzer window, select your home Wi-Fi network.
  2. In the card of the network, click Router settings to open the router configuration page in your browser.

For more details about changing the Wi-Fi router operating mode, refer to user manual of your router.

How to improve speed by changing the frequency band and bandwidth of the Wi-Fi channel

Most currently marketed routes work in two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In the 2.4 GHz band, the data transfer rate is lower, but the Wi-Fi signal is stronger (devices will be able to connect to Wi-Fi at a greater distance from the router). The downside of the 2.4 GHz band is its being busy (many devices use this frequency). In the 5 GHz band, the data transfer rate is higher, but the Wi-Fi signal is weaker, that is, the distance from the device to the router must be shorter. The 5 GHz band is also less busy.

For each frequency band, you can select its bandwidth. The bandwidth of the channel is its capacity to transfer data. The wider the channel, the greater the data transfer rate. However, the bandwidth also affects the number of overlapping channels. A channel bandwidth of 40 MHz means more overlapping channels than a channel bandwidth of 20 MHz. The choice of bandwidth depends on the operating conditions of the Wi-Fi router.

Tip 1. If you live in an apartment block, use the 20 MHz bandwidth. Using 40 MHz is not recommended.

Tip 2. If you live in a single-family house far enough from neighbors, try choosing a bandwidth of 40 MHz for your Wi-Fi router that uses the 2.4 GHz band.

Tip 3. If your router and all devices that you want to connect to your home Wi-Fi network support the 5 GHz band, try disabling the 2.4 GHz band and using only the 5 GHz frequency with 40 MHz bandwidth. However, if you notice that when you use the 40 MHz bandwidth, the speed goes down or your device cannot connect to Wi-Fi at all, consider using the 20 MHz bandwidth. For details about which Wi-Fi band your device or Wi-Fi router can operate in, refer to the manufacturer's website.

To change the frequency band or bandwidth of your Wi-Fi router:

  1. In the Wi-Fi Analyzer window, select your home Wi-Fi network.
  2. In the card of the network, click Router settings to open the router configuration page in your browser.

For more details about changing the frequency band or bandwidth, refer to the user manual for your router.

How to improve Wi-Fi signal using Wi-Fi roaming

If you have optimized Wi-Fi settings, but your home still has zones of weak or nonexistent Wi-Fi signal, you can try creating a

. To do so, you will need a Wi-Fi router that supports this technology. To find out if your Wi-Fi router supports creating mesh networks, refer to the manufacturer's website.

A mesh Wi-Fi network consists of a Wi-Fi router and additional Wi-Fi modules that are installed in rooms with weak or nonexistent Wi-Fi signal Wi-Fi. When you go from one coverage zone to another, seamless handover takes place between one Wi-Fi module to another (Wi-Fi roaming), and your device remains connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

When creating a mesh network, it is important to keep in mind that not all devices are capable of seamlessly switching Wi-Fi modules. Please confirm this information on the website of the individual devices' manufacturer.

If you do not want to use a mesh network, you may use

. These also expand signal coverage, but they do not support seamless handover of your device from the router to the repeater.

We also recommend making sure you are using a strong password and secure encryption for your Wi-Fi network.

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[Topic 245277]