Unknown Devices using my BT homehub

emmylou

Hi Everyone,
We use a BT Homehub both wired and wirelessly. There is an option to restrict access to devices as required (to limit use by kids etc). When I logged in to restrict my son's laptop there were a couple of devices listed as Unknown-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX where the Xs represent numbers and letters.
Does anyone know what these could be? We can't think of anything it could be and wonder if someone is using it somehow.
The security is WPA and WPA2.
Any suggestions? Would be very grateful for any advice.
Thanks,
Emma

MackemPunk

emmylou wrote: »

Hi Everyone,
We use a BT Homehub both wired and wirelessly. There is an option to restrict access to devices as required (to limit use by kids etc). When I logged in to restrict my son's laptop there were a couple of devices listed as Unknown-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX where the Xs represent numbers and letters.
Does anyone know what these could be? We can't think of anything it could be and wonder if someone is using it somehow.
The security is WPA and WPA2.
Any suggestions? Would be very grateful for any advice.
Thanks,
Emma

Has anyone in the household got WIFI enabled phones?

KillerWatt

Your homehub is also a BT Wi-Fi hotspot for other BT users.

The_Grandmaster

Mobile phones would have been my guess although printers could possibly be attached too?

emmylou

MackemPunk wrote: »

Has anyone in the household got WIFI enabled phones?

I have an iphone and my other half has an HTC but these are listed seperately. We have had these for a while though and these numbers have never shown up before.

emmylou

KillerWatt wrote: »

Your homehub is also a BT Wi-Fi hotspot for other BT users.

Never seen this before though, would it go on the access control list?

emmylou

The_Grandmaster wrote: »

Mobile phones would have been my guess although printers could possibly be attached too?

We don't have a wireless printer. The printer we do have has been installed for ages and not shown up.

asbokid

emmylou wrote: »

Hi Everyone,
We use a BT Homehub both wired and wirelessly. There is an option to restrict access to devices as required (to limit use by kids etc).

Had you enabled that option?

When I logged in to restrict my son's laptop there were a couple of devices listed as Unknown-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX where the Xs represent numbers and letters.

Those xx numbers form the MAC address of the network adaptor for the device that has been connected to your hub.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address

The MAC address is supposed to be unique, so you could use it determine the identity (manufacturer, model number, serial number) of the *network adaptor* that has been connecting to your hub. The MAC address won't however tell you the make of the computer, nor the identity of the computer user.

Are you sure it isn't the MAC address for a computer or networked device in your ownership, or the ownership of a visitor to your household?

Does anyone know what these could be? We can't think of anything it could be and wonder if someone is using it somehow.
The security is WPA and WPA2.

Here's hoping it wasn't the spotty teen from number 23, freeloading your ADSL connection and topping up his kiddy !!!!!! stash. You will soon know if the police call with a search warrant.

Any suggestions? Would be very grateful for any advice.

Check every wireless device in your household: printers, laptops, PCs, blackberries, etc. Note down the MAC address for each of those devices and compare against the MAC address that you've found in your hub's log.

Thanks,
Emma

Thank you, Emma!

tellmeitsfriday

It's called BT Fon, and I believe all homehubs are set up to accept connections. You can switch it off in settings if you want to, but then you're not allowed to use other people's if you need to x

emmylou

asbokid - wow, thanks for that info! Have only one problem - where do I find the MAC code on each device? Have found it on my iphone but can't find it on my laptop - but I am a div!

emmylou

tellmeitsfriday wrote: »

It's called BT Fon, and I believe all homehubs are set up to accept connections. You can switch it off in settings if you want to, but then you're not allowed to use other people's if you need to x

I wondered about something like this but it has been set up for ages and it is only this week that something has appeared.