Block user or device?

[electroman]

Best way to block a user or device?

Keep it simple!

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Hello @electroman 

Once a device has been given the shared WiFi password, there is no truly effective way to stop it from connecting. Pausing it will only stop it from connecting to the internet – it will still have access to other devices on the local network. So, if you can remove your network from that device, it will no longer connect. If you can't do that, then changing your WiFi password will be the only really effective way to stop it from connecting. That will require reconfiguring your other WiFi devices with the new password, though. In the future, using the guest WiFi feature is a good way to allow something access to the internet through your network without giving it the shared password. You can then just change the guest WiFi network password any time you want without impacting any of your own devices.

[electroman]

Glad I said keep it simple...guess you might not see the irony in the request.

Once a device has been given the shared WiFi password, there is no truly effective way to stop it from connecting.  OK.

Pausing it will only stop it from connecting to the internet – it will still have access to other devices on the local network. Never asked that.

So, if you can remove your network from that device, it will no longer connect.

Ah...the obvious reason for the block, if you can't remove your network from that device...

If you can't do that, then changing your WiFi password will be the only really effective way to stop it from connecting. That will require reconfiguring your other WiFi devices with the new password, though.

There are 243 smart devices in the network...aka a suicide mission at best!

No Thanks...

In the future, using the guest WiFi feature is a good way to allow something access to the internet through your network without giving it the shared password.

Guess I should tell all the attackers to use the guest network!

You can then just change the guest WiFi network password any time you want without impacting any of your own devices. 

However not the simple I was looking for.

Best way to block a user or device?

Simple Answer...the app provides no way to block users or devices!

I asked because I have devices on the network with names I didn't use i.e. TYPE   none-5 

A mac lookup didn't help to identify the device "Ralink Technology, Corp." just the NA & gots lots of those around.

I'm thinking it might be a Alexa device where some genus's decided not to identify the device properly on the network! Now I need to tango my time to discover the device username!

JFYI Although I'm new to the Google Home/Nest app (lame at best) I'm not new to Systems Networking!

Anyway thks for the help!

[MichaelP]

JFYI, I don't work for Google. I'm just a customer who enjoys helping others solve issues when I can. I also happen to be a computer engineer (since 1991), so I'm also thorough in my answers just out of personal habit. Sometimes there isn't a simple answer. In this case, I gave the standard answer to something that comes up occasionally. I'm sorry it wasn't as helpful as you'd hoped.

To your specific issue, if someone really has managed to guess your WiFi password, you will want to change it, full stop. If that's unlikely, then I would ignore some of the clients that show up in the list. It seems like more devices are generating random temporary MAC addresses these days, which pollutes the device list over time. I also have some Amazon Echo devices that show up as none-<number> sometimes.

Best of luck to you!

[electroman]

puter engineer (since Unix) and thanks for your help...

I was accused many times of talking Greek to my customers and complicating beyond understanding.

Customer called with an issue...I said all you have to do is make sure the Floppy Disk is in the disk drive...

His response: What's a Floppy Disk

Sometime later I came to the realization of what " complicating beyond understanding." meant!

So for 40+ years I work to speak in simple English and business boomed!

---

I also have some Amazon Echo devices that show up as none-<number> sometimes.

Now that's the ticket...that helps alot aka conformation!

Thks much!

[frances]

Hi All,

First, thank you MichaelP for answering this thread!

Hello electroman, just wanted to check in. Do you have any other questions or concerns? Let us know, we're here to help!

[electroman]

Well if that's all you have to offer...then I guess it's a good time to check out...wow

Guess you needed to up your post count !!

[frances]

Hello electroman,

I was stopping by in a friendly manner to see if you still needed help regarding this issue. I apologize that you misinterpreted my message, that is not my intention. I am not rushing you or bringing up a post count. I just want to see if there is something else I can help you with.

Through your comment, it is obvious that your issue has not been resolved. I will come back with some more solutions. Thanks for your patience.

[GarrettDS]

Hey there Electroman, 

Just following up, as mentioned by MichaelP, there's no manual way to block a user or device. If for some reason someone has gotten access to your network without permission, then changing the credentials is the best next step to avoid risks. 

I'll go ahead and lock this thread but if other issues arise, please start a new thread and we'll be happy to help. 

Best regards, 

Garrett DS