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Forum Discussion
Device names change/disappear
I have an RBR 40 with three satellites and about 35 devices connected. For some reason Orbi drops some of the names I have added. In other cases I cannot find my devices at all. In particular, right n...
Evp58 wrote:
I have an RBR 40 with three satellites and about 35 devices connected. For some reason Orbi drops some of the names I have added. In other cases I cannot find my devices at all. In particular, right now, neither my or my wife's Apple Watch appear. Plus, suddently, my iphone 13 disappeared from the list but my wife's similar model is there. Also, I had to rename my Samsung TV's twice because for some reason my custom names disappeared. Any ideas??
Thank you
The Attached Devices web page is a bit touchy. I have found that
- I have to be really deliberate when entering text into the Device Model and Device Name fields. Many times I have forgotten to click on Apply (too hasty).
- Often when I return to the Attached Devices page, it looks like the change did not "take". This appears to be poor programming on Netgear's part. There is a timer which builds the Attached Devices page from tables stored in memory. Returning to the main page after an edit does not trigger that update. Clicking on the "Refresh" button in the upper right appear to do so.
- Fortunately, the text used to display devices on the Attached Devices page has no bearing at all on how the WiFi "works". I may obsess over how this web page appears, but the system doesn't.
There is a separate issue with modern networking software. It has become "the norm" for manufacturers to have their WiFi software create "anonymous" MAC addresses for the WiFi adapter. See, for example:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211227 This is not unique to Apple. Android, Windows, and even LInux systems often have the same default behavior. It could be that the iPhone which was so carefully defined with a "Device Name" is now on the network with a different MAC address and some bizzare made up name, maybe starting with DEV.
Attached (and "Connected" on the 'app) devices have always been an issue on the Orbi products.
- Thanks for your reply!
I am experiencing most of the issues that you cite! For example, my wife’s iPhone 13 still appears with her correct name but the MAC address is different! And yes, suddenly I found a device with the name “DEV” which I could not account for!
Is there any solution to these issues?
Evp58 wrote:
Is there any solution to these issues?If you want to assign Device Names and Device Model information so it will show up in the Attached Devices (or Connected Devices), then the MAC address must remain the same. Everything keys on MAC address.
On my Android devices, the setting to use Private MAC addresses is specific to WiFi SSID's. So I have it set to use the actual hardware MAC address at home, but to do "whatever" when connected to other WiFi (where I have no control anyway).
How (and if) devices are visible on the Orbi has been an issue for years. When V2.7.3.22 came out last summer, people immediately began complaining about devices not showing up.
Thanks!
I guess this is an Orbi issue since Orbi seems to be changing my MAC addresses as well as the names that I have assigned. But a few of my devices are still tagged properly with my names including TV's, Nest thermostats, Blink controller, and home power Generator. But my and my wife's Apple watches disappeared!
I suppose the main issue is that all are connected to WiFi, whether they are identified as such or not!!
I wish Orbe/NetGear would respond to this as it seems to be related to their firmware for Orbi router