Access Control and Whitelist / Block New Connections Primary Network - Allow new devices on Guest

Question

So, after spending sometime researching this, I'm pretty shocked that this setup is not possible.&nbsp;
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Objectives:
1) Primary network with access control turned on that blocks new devices by default and only allows devices with white-listed MAC addresses to connect
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2) Guest network that allows new devices to connect
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This is an extremeley common used case, but I think may be one the Orbi does NOT support.&nbsp;
When you go to the UI...Advanced&gt;Security&gt;Access control, it seems the access controls apply to both the Primary and Guest network, which effectively makes them pointless.
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Am I missing something? Will be returning this product if use case above is not supported.&nbsp;
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farmboy3000 · Answer

I'm looking for the same funtionality as the OP.&nbsp; My teenage son is pretty smart and figured out how to change his MAC address anytime his time limit is exceeded.&nbsp; He's blocked for maybe 3 minutes and then he's back on again.&nbsp; The ability to have a whitelist and block all "new" devices would solve this issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

CrimpOn · Answer

farmboy3000&nbsp;wrote:I'm looking for the same funtionality as the OP.&nbsp; My teenage son is pretty smart and figured out how to change his MAC address anytime his time limit is exceeded.&nbsp; He's blocked for maybe 3 minutes and then he's back on again.&nbsp; The ability to have a whitelist and block all "new" devices would solve this issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am confused.&nbsp; This seems to me to be exactly what "Access Control" does.&nbsp; MAC addresses in the table are "whitelisted" and anything else is not.&nbsp; If someone changes to a new MAC address, then it is a "new" device and cannot connect.

FURRYe38 · Answer

So does this not work for you in Access Controls?&nbsp;farmboy3000&nbsp;wrote:Thanks...I'm already using Circle.&nbsp; Yes, I can remove the new device when it appears but that would also mean that I would need to be constantly watching the network for new devices.&nbsp; Also, I go to bed before my son does, so I need the bedtime limits to work without me having to stay up all night checking for new devices.&nbsp;

CrimpOn · Answer

farmboy3000&nbsp;wrote:Thanks...Apparently I didn't see the checkbox to block new devices in Access Control. This should work.&nbsp; Thanks!In previous firmware releases, there were reports that Access Control did not function as intended.&nbsp; It would probably be worth conducting an experiment to verify that it does now.&nbsp; I, myself, have not enabled Access Control because of the frustration of giving visitors access to WiFi.&nbsp; It's not all that convenient to say, "oh, shoot, I need to turn access control off so you can check the web."&nbsp; I could have just turned on Guest access with no password, but that seems just "not a good idea", either.

Blanca_O · Answer

Hi&nbsp;aeiou_y

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Welcome to NETGEAR Community!&nbsp;

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Guest network cannot be excluded from the Access Control list.&nbsp;

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You can also monitor list of connected devices via the Orbi app and web UI to allow and to block devices.&nbsp;

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Regards,&nbsp;
Blanca&nbsp;
Community Team

Forum Discussion

Access Control and Whitelist / Block New Connections Primary Network - Allow new devices on Guest

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