I had plans for today, but it’s cold outside, and I happened to look at the app for my wireless provider. I don’t look at it normally, but it notifies me when I follow a link to a website it doesn’t like, so there I was, and since I was looking at my Xfinity app, I looked at the connected devices, and didn’t recognize a couple of them. One was an additional Mac (possibly my son-in-law’s, which he has brought over maybe twice), and one was an unidentified Linux device.

My late husband was a computer consultant. As often happens with such people, he didn’t take his own advice, and he used the same password for everything. EVERYTHING. The few situations when he couldn’t use that one, he used another one that he always used.

So, since he has been dead for three years, I changed the password on the wireless network to one that’s much more difficult to guess.

The unidentified Mac computer disappeared instantly, though I suspect it wasn’t anything but a shadow of my own Mac.

Changing the password meant that my laptop, tablet, wireless speaker, security cameras, phone, and printer were no longer connected. It wasn’t urgent, because my phone has unlimited cellular data and acts as a hotspot for the laptop and iPad, but I sort of wanted the devices to keep using the wireless. My son-in-law pays for my phone account and I really didn’t want to funnel Phillies games through my phone when I’m home.

The laptop was easy; all I had to do was realize that the WPA password was the same as the new regular one, which took me a while. The phone and iPad were easier.

The cameras were tricky, though. I had to completely reset my front security camera, and luckily I was able to find the unique identifier (I even kept the QR code sticker.) The back camera, which is an impressive thing with motion-activated lights, apparently had its unique identifier underneath the electrical connection and I don’t have the hex key for that any more. After some time spent on top of a ladder (and yes, after turning off the circuit breaker switch), I decided I didn’t need a back camera after all. The lights still work, and that’s what I wanted it for. When I go out into the back yard at night to put trash in the bin, the lights come on. That’s all I need. Nobody ever tries to get into my back yard and the door to the alley is locked, but if someone did, the lights would come on and convince them I do have a camera.

The wireless speaker, a cheapie from IKEA, had to be deleted. The app for it had to be deleted. I reset my phone just for good measure and reinstalled the app, and magically it found my speaker after all, just like that.

With music playing, I set out to find the Linux device. I figured out how to find the MAC address, and typed it into an online website, which told me it was made by a Chinese manufacturer and could be anything at all. That was not helpful.

It wasn’t my router, which was working just fine.

I finally decided it was my HEPA air filter, which was made in China, it said when I turned it upside down. I had already, I thought, taken the air filter off the network when I decided I didn’t need a remote control to turn it on and off when the thing was right there next to my bed, but maybe not.

So, crossing my fingers, I removed the device from the network. My house didn’t go dark or anything. The air filter still works. The speaker is playing. It’s almost noon.

I feel very accomplished, and even though I didn’t get anything done on my list of regular tasks, I checked them all off as if I had completed them.

My kid and my son-in-law will have to re-enter the wireless password when they come over. I don’t know why they bother, because we all have the same unlimited data, but whatever.

It’s quite a price we pay for convenience.