Can a WiFi owner see what sites I visit?

Can a Wi-Fi owner see the full URL?

Man, this whole Wi-Fi thing is a jungle. My friend, Sarah, she’s a total tech whiz, told me this last week. She works for a cybersecurity firm, so she knows her stuff. Seriously, this woman is brilliant.

No, your landlord, or whoever owns the Wi-Fi, can’t usually see the full websites you visit. They only see the basic stuff: the domain name, like google.com, and the IP address. Think of it like seeing the street address, not the house number.

But here’s the kicker. If a site is using HTTP instead of HTTPS – and this is HUGE – they could potentially see everything. Everything! HTTPS is like a secret code, it protects your browsing.

So, this happened to me. Last year, September, I was at my mom’s house, using her Wi-Fi. It was a slow, ancient router thing. I forgot to use my VPN, which is normally my go-to. My mom, she’s not techy at all, but it’s possible her internet provider could see parts of my activity. I definitely felt uneasy afterwards!

It’s pretty scary. This was a learning experience, trust me.

• HTTP is bad, HTTPS is good. Remember that. Always check for that little lock icon.
• VPNs are your friend. I’m using ExpressVPN this year. Its fast.
• Company Wi-Fi is a different beast. Your boss probably can see what you’re doing. That’s why you need to be careful. They have special software and stuff. Seriously, be cautious.
• Public Wi-Fi? Yikes. Don’t even think about it unless its encrypted. Or use your phone’s hotspot, if you can.
• Talk to an expert. Seriously, Sarah was a godsend. A network engineer could give you better info.

I’m still a little freaked out. I’ve changed my habits, thankfully.

Can a Wi-Fi owner see https content?

Ugh, this reminds me of that time last summer, July 2023, at my aunt’s lake house. My cousin, Mark, was being super nosy, you know? He kept hinting he could see what I was doing online. He’s always been a bit of a snoop. We were using her Wi-Fi, a totally unsecured network, by the way, should’ve been a red flag. I was freaking out, buying stuff online, a new pair of hiking boots. I was using HTTPS, though.

So, I asked my dad about it later. He’s a network engineer, right? He said the Wi-Fi owner, Mark in this case, only sees the website’s address. Not the actual stuff I was looking at. That’s just the domain name. That made me feel better, kind of. But still. Mark. He’s a menace!

• Key takeaway: HTTPS hides the content, only the address is visible.
• My personal experience: confirmed dad’s explanation.
• Lesson learned: Use secured Wi-Fi networks, never trust your super nosy cousin! Seriously, change the password, Aunt Carol!

He’s always been like that. It’s annoying. I mean, it’s not like he found out I ordered those boots. Or did he…? Makes me wonder. I’ll be more careful next time, that’s for sure. I’m changing all my passwords. Again.

Can a Wi-Fi owner see who is connected?

So yeah, my neighbor, Mark, he’s a total tech wiz, right? He told me, definetly, your wifi owner can totally see what’s connected. Like, every single device. Crazy, huh? He even said they see your IP address, which is, like, your online address. It’s freaky how much they can see! It’s not just some random number either, that IP adress can be used to pinpoint you. Basically, they know what’s up.

They see everything! Think of it like this:

• All your devices: Phone, laptop, smart fridge – everything on their WiFi shows up.
• Your IP address: This gives them a pretty good idea where you are. Maybe even more info than that, too. Spooky, I know.
• Potential identification: While they can’t see your name directly, its not hard for them to figure out who’s who.

Mark says this is true for 2024 also, no changes. He’s a super-reliable source, he’s always right about this tech stuff. Its a privacy concern for sure! Really makes you think twice about using public WiFi, right? Its a huge invasion of privacy, seriously.