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.

Smart Home Monitor

This section contains information about how to use Kaspersky application to find out which devices are connected to your wireline Ethernet network and the Wi-Fi network.

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:

• If you agree, Kaspersky application shows a list of devices connected to this network and notifies you if a new device has connected to it.
• If you refuse, Kaspersky application does not notify you when a connection to this network is established again, and does not display the list of devices that are connected.

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.

How to enable or disable Smart Home Monitor

To enable or disable Smart Home Monitor:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click 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.

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

How to change the device name

How to change the device type

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.

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 next to the network that you want to remove.

The network will be deleted from the list.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

strength of your Wi-Fi signal

Wi-Fi signal strength is measured as RSSI (received signal strength indicator), that is, full power level of the received signal. The unit of measurement is dBm (decibel with reference to 1 milliwatt).

The value of signal strength can vary from 0 to -100 dBm. Higher signal strength values (closer to 0) correspond to better (more powerful) signal, and lower values (closer to -100) correspond to worse (weaker) signal.

. 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

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

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

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

mesh Wi-Fi network

A Wi-Fi mesh network is a Wi-Fi system that aims to eliminate weak signal zones and ensure seamless Wi-Fi coverage in a home or office environment. Mesh systems enable higher data transfer rates, wide coverage, and reliable connection for devices that connect to the network by providing Wi-Fi from multiple points.

. 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

Wi-Fi boosters (repeaters)

A Wi-Fi repeater or booster is used to expand the coverage zone of the Wi-Fi local area network. It receives the Wi-Fi signal, amplifies it and broadcasts the amplified signal.

. 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.