Fort Meade, Md. — A popular home WiFi management application has released a new version that includes smoother functionality, Mac filtering assistance and custom alerts.

Home WiFi Alert was designed to help people become more involved with management of their home networks, increasing internet security by using the app’s built-in network scanner. The app was designed to allow non-IT professionals and home users a way to monitor their home WiFi networks so they can know exactly who’s on the network and have a way to find people hacking into or stealing their connections.

The app is free, fast, and easy to use right at home on any Android device. It works by quickly scanning a home network and identifying all of the wired and wireless devices that are using the internet connection. Everyone connected to a WiFi network is displayed in a clean, concise list that includes technical data for each device, including IP address, host name, MAC address and manufacturer name. The app allows the option to set up alerts for whenever a new device joins the network.

Users can create a list of trusted devices welcome on a network, including family laptops, phones, printers and other devices.

“Our users provided us with valuable feedback that we have taken into account when working on improving our app,” said Erich Krauz, developer of Home WiFi Alert. “WiFi theft is more than a common annoyance; it may be slowing down your connection speed and costing you money. Our app helps you to protect your WiFi network by only allowing devices to hop on that you know and trust.”

Krauz is a U.S. government employee in the security industry who very passionate about internet security and making sure families’ WiFi networks are not being hijacked by neighbors or malicious people.

“This idea come to me when I was visiting my parents and signed onto their home WiFi,” he said. “I noticed the internet speed was really slow, and when I ran a scan, I noticed two Apple devices on their network. This was weird because they did not own Apple products. Turns out their neighbor for 10 years was free loading on their internet, which was causing them connectivity and speed issues. I wanted to take this and make an app that could help other families, which is why the app is free.”

The app is available for download from the Google Play Store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.lamatricexiste.networksearch&hl=en. A new, ad-free Home Wifi Alert Pro version can be downloaded at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.lamatricexiste.networksearchpro&hl=en.