Strange device

NightOwl67

I'm trying to find out a device that's connected to my router.  There's five devices identified but the fifth is saying "unknown".  Is it possible a neighbour is somehow accessing the WiFi?  It's bizarre as it's connecting at all hours including middle of the night. Would it be the landline or smart meter?  

david29dpo

@ 
I dont think in can be a smartmeter, as far as i know these use moblie data, do you have a fibre phone?
Have you logged in to your router for the stats?

NightOwl67

The landline was recently switched over to digital.  I wanted to find what devices are on the router and got this one saying it is unknown.  

teaselMay

You could disconnect it at the router and see what stops working. Can you see how much data it pulls and pushes?

It could be a phone, the washing machine, printer, tablet, door bell, tv,  ip camera, all sorts of things. More likely a device you've forgotten than someone using that shouldn't be.

Vitor

Very likely it's the digital or VOIP phone adapter

NightOwl67

teaselMay said:

You could disconnect it at the router and see what stops working. Can you see how much data it pulls and pushes?

It could be a phone, the washing machine, printer, tablet, door bell, tv,  ip camera, all sorts of things. More likely a device you've forgotten than someone using that shouldn't be.

Apart from landline and washing machine (not connected to router), I don't have any of the other things you mention , (TV is not a smart TV). It very strange.

zagfles

Your router should show the MAC address of the device, you can look it up (google mac address lookup) to see the manufacturer which might help with what type of device it is. You could blacklist it so it can't connect and see if anything stops working. 

flaneurs_lobster

Does your unknown device have a string of characters as its description on your list? 

Try feeding them into Google, can sometimes give you a clue as to its nature.

Otherwise, as @teaselMay says, disconnect it and see what stops working (used to be called "Scream Testing" back in the day).

NightOwl67

zagfles said:

Your router should show the MAC address of the device, you can look it up (google mac address lookup) to see the manufacturer which might help with what type of device it is. You could blacklist it so it can't connect and see if anything stops working. 

I've done the MAC address lookup on three different sites, not recognised by any of them. I tried my phones address and got the same result.  Even more suspicious now.

david29dpo

Log into the router and refuse it access, see what happens

NightOwl67

david29dpo said:

Log into the router and refuse it access, see what happens

How do I refuse it access?