How to tell if your router has been hacked

First, stay calm

Slow internet, a dropped connection or a strange pop-up is almost never a hacked router. Most of the time it is a busy network, a weak Wi-Fi signal, or a problem on one computer. A hacked router is rare, and there is nearly always a simple way to put things right.

Network Check cannot tell you whether your router has been hacked. It can only show which doors are open to the internet. This page lists signs you can look for yourself.

Signs worth a closer look

• You cannot sign in to your router with a password you know is right. Someone may have changed it. It is more often a typing mistake or a forgotten password, so try once more carefully before worrying.
• Settings you did not make. For example a port forwarding rule you do not recognize, or Remote Management switched on when you never turned it on.
• Strange internet (DNS) settings. In the router's internet settings, the "DNS" addresses are usually blank, set to automatic, or your internet company's. Two unfamiliar numbers there can send you to the wrong websites. If you are unsure, ask your internet company what they should be.
• The same odd behavior on every device. For example every phone and computer in the house is sent to strange websites or shown the same unwanted pop-ups. If it is only one computer, the problem is on that computer, not the router.
• Your internet company contacts you about unusual traffic from your connection. Call them back on the number printed on your bill, not on a number in a message.

What to do

1. Sign in to your router and look at the settings above. If you cannot sign in, go to step 4.
2. Update the router. Look for Firmware or Router Update. Updates fix known problems.
3. Change the router's admin password, and make sure Remote Management is off.
4. If you still do not trust it, call your internet company, or ask someone you trust. A factory reset puts the router back to how it was when new. It erases your settings, so your Wi-Fi name and password return to the ones on the sticker and every device has to be connected again. Get help before you do it.
5. If the router is very old, it may no longer get security fixes. See whether yours is too old.

A safety rule

Never give your router password, or let someone connect to your computer, because they phoned or messaged you saying your internet is "hacked". Real internet companies do not work that way.