There is no denying the fact that the internet has made our life much simpler. We have a ton of information available just one click away. But, as we are always connected, there is the possibility that each Google search is scanned and saved somewhere. Therefore, many people, especially business owners, have asked professionals, “how to monitor websites visited on my Wi-Fi?”.
In our article, we will address this question and provide you with multiple ways that you can acknowledge the websites that have been visited while connected to your wireless network.
How to Monitor Websites Visited on My Wi-Fi
You can take many different approaches to see the websites that have been visited on your wireless network. Whether you own a business and wonder what your employees are doing online or are just a concerned parent watching your kids’ every step online, you can acquire knowledge of the website history by accessing the router’s logs.
You can also check the browsing history on each computer individually, as well as the devices that have access to them. Plus, there are also IP scanners and other network sniffing software.
Ways That You Can Monitor the Visited Websites on Your Wi-Fi
Privacy concerns have existed since the invention of the internet. Something so powerful and widespread, that can help us learn, work, buy clothes, pay bills, and play games has to come at a price. As we are connected to the World Wide Web, we are always prone to monitoring and controlling.
The wireless network took the internet’s convenience to a new level. However, it increases the risk of kids accessing all kinds of information that do not suit their age. In addition, there are different types of online addictions that can be tough to control.
For these reasons, we decided to help those who asked, “how to monitor websites visited on my Wi-Fi?” by offering many ways to acquire the browsing history on any device that uses your particular network.
By monitoring the visited websites on your Wi-Fi, we mean accessing the URLs that have been opened on the network. Unfortunately, you cannot see the specific content if someone is watching a video, reading a particular email, or doing something entirely different. But URLs and IP addresses are enough to inform you what is going on and what type of content has been viewed.
To see which websites have been visited on your Wi-Fi, you can:
Access the wireless router
If you want to take a sneak peek behind the wireless curtains, the best and most popular way to do so is to access the router’s settings. By using the wireless router, you can monitor different URLs and websites that are visited from all devices connected to your network.
To see which websites have been used through the router, you must log into the settings with the help of your admin credentials. Afterward, you can see the browsing history. Using the wireless router, you must follow these steps to monitor websites.
- Open your default browser and enter your personal IP address on the address bar.
- After seeing the router’s manual, enter the admin credentials to access the ”Settings” menu.
- Once you are in the device’s settings, find the option “Logs”.
- In “Logs”, you can find the history of the websites that have been visited with the help of your wireless network.
Remember that your network provider might block some harmful or irrelevant content and some websites altogether.
Read More: How to View Router History
Using an IP scanner
The most popular software for network scanning is the Advanced IP Scanner. This software scans the network, goes through all network devices, and detects visited websites, shared folders, and many other online activities. The Advanced IP Scanner can also examine tech devices like smartphones, computers, printers, laptops, tablets, etc.
The software inspects the devices using common services such as HTTP and FTP. The tasks of every user are supervised by the network admin, who can remotely turn off any connected device at a certain time if there is some nefarious activity.
The Advanced IP Scanner is a great tool and offers the following key features:
- Access to many shared resources over the internet, not just visited websites
- Detects IP and MAC addresses
- Allows you to switch on and off certain computers remotely
- The network provider can manually configure the speed of the data scan together with the accuracy; plus, some more suspicious devices can become a priority, and the first scanning target
Chamspy
This application is arguably the best parental control software that keeps a close watch on children’s online activity. Chamspy is a user-friendly app that allows kids to use the internet and devices more appropriately. With this app, you, as the parent, can have continuing supervision over browsing history and social media activities. You can block, filter, or prevent any website that you think is not kid-friendly.
Chamspy can be downloaded on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. With it, you can view the timestamps of any remote device, visited URLs, browsing history, and bookmarks. To use this application, you must:
- Download the free basic version or select a paid subscription plan for many extra features.
- Afterward, you will receive an email with your login credentials.
- After entering the “Control Panel”, follow the directions for use of the app.
- Install Chamspy on the device by using the targeted device’s browser.
- You are legally allowed to monitor the websites on the device.
Wireshark
Wireshark is an open-source packet analyzer that monitors the network traffic over a locally connected network. With Wireshark’s help, the network provider can scan many platforms and protocols.
The app stores the data in the form of a packet. Many data packets can be later exported as information and files all over the local network.
Wireshark offers many extraordinary features, such as
- Live capturing of data on remote devices, available for viewing and inspecting offline
- VOIP analysis
- Access to read and write on captured file formats
Conclusion
To help people who asked, “how to monitor websites visited on my Wi-Fi?”, we suggested four methods to get the job done. You can choose one that suits your needs. Whether you are a business owner or a concerned parent, establishing some boundaries on the internet is always a good idea.