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network device has joined the network

network device has joined the network
network device has joined the network
Friday - last edited Friday
Model: Deco M5  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version:

I have recently been receiving multiple "network device has joined the network at <time>" alerts at random times during the day. When I check the app for a list of network clients,  I have 13 "network device" clients showing in the Offline Clients list. In the information for all of these clients, it says "Random MAC address detected."

 

Is this something I sould be concerned about? Could someone be attempting to get into my network? What is a "network device" client?

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#1
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

  @bchelbig 

 

Lets start with what a random mac address is. A randomized MAC address (or private MAC address) is a privacy feature on devices like phones, tablets, and laptops that generates a different, random MAC address for each Wi-Fi network you connect to, making it harder for others to track your device's location and activity across different networks. This feature helps protect your privacy on public Wi-Fi and other shared networks by preventing persistent tracking via the device's unique hardware address. You can usually find this setting in your Wi-Fi or network settings to enable or disable it for specific networks or globally.

 

To turn off the random MAC address, or use the device's real MAC address, on a device, you need to disable "MAC Randomization" or "Private MAC Address" in the Wi-Fi settings for that specific network on the device itself, not on the Deco system. The exact steps vary by operating system, but generally involve going to the Wi-Fi settings, selecting the network, going to advanced options, and choosing to use the "Device MAC" or "Use device MAC" instead of a random one

 

 

On Android Devices 

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
  3. Tap the gear icon or the network name next to the connected network.
  4. Tap on Advanced or Wi-Fi preferences.
  5. Select Privacy and change "Use randomized MAC" to Use device MAC.

On iOS Devices 

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to Wi-Fi.
  3. Tap the information icon (i) next to the network you are connected to.
  4. Toggle off Private Wi-Fi Address.

On Windows Devices 

  1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
  2. Select Manage known networks.
  3. Click on the network for which you want to disable MAC randomization.
  4. Click Properties and turn off the "Random hardware addresses" option.

While it could be someone getting on your network they would have to know the SSID (name) of your network and your password. If you are worried that someone is getting into your network it is recommened to change your network password but you will also have to reconnect all of your wireless devices using the new password. 

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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#2
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

  @bchelbig 

 

On my iOS devices for Private Addressing I still want a level of protection, so instead of OFF I use FIXED.

 

Minor differences:

 

  • OFF allows the device to use the TRUE MAC address. As you move around and from one SSID to another, you can be tracked. This might not be a problem on your LAN, but going from 'store to store' it enables 'tracking'.
  • FIXED is slightly different. The device generates a new MAC address for each SSID you connect to and uses that same one ONLY on the SSID it was generated for. That would be say your Home, Starbucks, your Dr.'s Office, etc. each would see a different FAKE MAC Address (so fake the first 3 parts are not assigned to anyone and it can't even be determine what company made the device) and can't track you from SSID to SSID.

 

AI Overview

"Off" uses your device's true, fixed hardware MAC address, allowing networks to track you across different networks, while "Fixed" uses a unique private MAC address for that specific network only, enhancing privacy by reducing tracking across networks but still allowing identification on that one network. The key difference is that "Off" reveals your permanent, real MAC address for all tracking, whereas "Fixed" hides it for the specific network you're on, using a generated address instead. 

 

So, if you leave PRIVATE ADDRESSING on, let us say you have a Cell phone that you connect to your home LAN to use and make calls on. You are connected, but then you leave the house. Depending on how you set notifications on the Deco app, you may or may not get a notification when you come back. If you have NOTIFICATIONS set for that device when you return, or even KNOWN devices.. you can get a Notification. However, turn the device Private Addressing OFF and there are no notification set for KNOWN devices, you will not get one. However, if ON, it will appear as a NEW DEVICE and notify you. Setting it to FIX, and you have no notifications for KNOWN, you'd never get a notifcation...

 

Have to LOOK at the Deco app for Notifications and both KNOWN and NEW devices and set those to what suits you.

 

I have NONE for known devices, but I do have it also set to alert me on specific device when the JOIN and LEAVE the network.

 

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#3
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

  @HelpFixDecoApp Thanks for the information. That was very helpful.

 

Can you tell me what a "network device" client is? Other clients give slightly more informative names like "Persons-iPhone", "iMac", etc. What type of device is only listed as "network device"?

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#4
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

  @IrvSp Thanks for the response. That was very informative.

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#5
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

@bchelbig 

 

See if the following helps :) 

 

Network Devices

These are the hardware components that create and maintain a network.

Routers: Direct data packets between networks, like your home network and the internet.

Switches: Connect multiple devices within the same local network, managing data flow.

Modems: Connect your network to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Access Points: Create a wireless local area network (WLAN), allowing wireless devices to connect.

Firewalls: Protect a network by blocking unauthorized access and controlling traffic.

 

Network Clients

 

These are the end-user devices that request and use network resources.

Personal Computers & Laptops: Run applications and request information from servers.

Smartphones & Tablets: Used for browsing the internet, sending messages, and accessing cloud services.

Printers & Cameras: Devices that connect to a network to share resources or send data.

 

Relationship Between Network Device and Client

 

The client-server model: Clients initiate requests, and servers respond.

Infrastructure vs. User: Network devices are the "pipes" and "roads" that allow clients to send and receive data.

Connectivity: A client (like your laptop) connects through a network device (like a Wi-Fi access point) to reach a server.

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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#6
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Re:network device has joined the network
Friday

  @bchelbig 

bchelbig wrote

  @HelpFixDecoApp Thanks for the information. That was very helpful.

 

Can you tell me what a "network device" client is? Other clients give slightly more informative names like "Persons-iPhone", "iMac", etc. What type of device is only listed as "network device"?

 

I think you mean what appears in the On-Line Client List?

 

If so, that is the 'name' the device returns.... 

 

Now this IS my CLIENT ON-LINE list:

 

f683d30e05244e03a123461540d79b63

 

It took some work to make it look like that....

 

See the first one, iPad, it is probably mine.

 

So I'd need to rename it using the Deco app, just click on the one you want to change, and you'd see something similar to this:

 

681a7e5a4ecf42fdb4bbf331dc6897a2

 

So, in this case, it did automatically file in a pretty good hint, not all do... some will be more of a hint, like the Amazon Echo and Show we have... the name shown will not relate to anything, some, like above provide a hint...

 

No you have to do the DIRTY work,,, find a device that isn't on the list by desired name. Then look at the network SSID connection on a device and compare either IP Address or MAC Address to the one you are looking at and THEN edit the name by clicking on it:

 

a081911e726f4221b697f1819b734679

 

Just click on the DEVICE NAME and you can then EDIT and save it.

 

Mine happened like that as I changed the SSID to the MLO one, so it was considered new and got named whatever the device supplied the Deco App...

 

Have a lot of IOT devices, might be better to turn ALL off, and then on ONE at time and check the Connect list... a little easier than looking at each device to find the address.

 

 

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#7
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Re:network device has joined the network
Saturday

  @HelpFixDecoApp Thanks. I appreciate the info.

 

Is it normal for some random network device (router, switch, etc.) to attempt to connect to my network? Seems like something like that would have to be done intentionally, with the owner taking some action to try to get it to connect. Are there any cases where a router, etc. would or could be configured to just scan for other available networks and try to connect for some reason?

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#8
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Re:network device has joined the network
Saturday

bchelbig wrote

  @HelpFixDecoApp Thanks. I appreciate the info.

 

Is it normal for some random network device (router, switch, etc.) to attempt to connect to my network? Seems like something like that would have to be done intentionally, with the owner taking some action to try to get it to connect. Are there any cases where a router, etc. would or could be configured to just scan for other available networks and try to connect for some reason?

  @bchelbig 

 

I don't know what you are seeing, and I assume my reply was no help?

 

Post a Screen Capture would help here, but it takes some intervention on the device to connect to an SSID. A router, generally can not do that? If is fed by a cable from the modem generally.

 

I suggest you first try and find out 'who' made that device... Go here --> https://dnschecker.org/mac-lookup.php and enter the MAC Address, might only need the first 3 sets of 2 numbers/letters.

 

Once you know 'who' is the manufacturer, you can narrow down the possible devices.

 

Chances are it is one of your devices switching SSID's as you move around the house. If External, the Deco app does allow you to control who can connect. Ubder Security is Wi-Fi access control.

 

You can set it to be Allow List Mode where you 'build all the allowed devices' to the list.

 

You can also using MORE on the Deco app set the Connection Alearts, selecting New Device Alearts and turn on Push Notifications... and you'd get on your phone a notfication when any NEW device connects. 

 

Then you can look at the On-Line list and (notification gives you the name) look at it and its MAC address. 

 

If you can determine it is some device that should NOT be connecting, you can ADD it to the BLOCK list in the Deco App.

 

By the way, any device that has (iOS for instance) Private Addressing ON will appear as a NEW device every time it connects to the LAN.

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#9
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Re:network device has joined the network
Yesterday

ecc9325bc94d403c9f6af28be2a3557b 

 

@IrvSp This is a screenshot of part of my Offline Clients list. I tried entering a couple of the listed MAC addresses in the tool at the website you indicated. However, the website just came back with a "Not found" result.

 

I do have "Push Notifications" enabled for "New Device Alerts". However, the times that I've been able to check the alerts when I've gotten them, the "network device" was already listed as Offline. The last time I got an alert for a "network device" connecting to the network was at 3am, when no one in the house was up and moving around the house.

 

I understand what you are saying about blocking the MAC address from connecting to the network. However, that doesn't seem like it would be very effective if the devices are using random addresses that change each time.

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#10
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Re:network device has joined the network
Yesterday

  @bchelbig 

 

Network device is just the generic name for one of your devices. While your in the Offline client list you can pick one of the devices and write down the mac address then click on it you will see the Block option. Now add the device you clicked on to the block list then see which device in your house stops working then you will know what device it is. From there you can unblock the device and then rename it from Network device to what ever the device is. 

 

 

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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#11
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