RBR40 Mystery device in my device list

[Hoho223]

First off, I live in the woods where my nearest neighbor is 600 feet away from me.  I have noticed a new device intermittently appearing in my list of attached devices.   It is a Google Chromecast.  We don't own one that is active.  We do have one in the house that is in a drawer and has never been removed from the box.  Why is this device being listed?  Please see attached screen shot from this evening. Thank you in advance

[Hoho223 · Accepted solution]

The mystery Chromecast device has been solved.   After  looking up the MAC address given for the Chromecast in my Orbi device list I find that it is an imbedded Chromecast in a Vizio "smart" TV that we hardly ever use.  Who would have thunk...... Thanks for the replies.

[michaelkenward]

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@Hoho223 wrote:

I have noticed a new device intermittently appearing in my list of attached devices.   It is a Google Chromecast.  We don't own one that is active. 

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You would not be the first person to get baffled by these things. The problem is that it can be hard to tell exactly which device is showing up.

A good place to start is to check the MAC address.

Then search for clues.

Here's one place to try:

MAC Address Lookup / WhatsMyIP.org

Sometimes devices have more than one MAC address. You may be seeing a duplicate of something you already know about.

Just for laughs, you could also look at the MAC address of the one in the drawer.

The RBR40 is an Orbi device. You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers specific to your device, in the appropriate section for your hardware. That's probably here:

Orbi - NETGEAR Communities

[Hoho223]

Thanks for your response.  I'll have to wait until it reappears on the device list before I can look at the MAC address because it has vanished for now.  I will also compare to the one in the drawer.  I would have gone to the Orbi group but I did not know there was one.  I will update though.

[michaelkenward]

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@Hoho223 wrote:

I would have gone to the Orbi group but I did not know there was one.  I will update though.

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You are not alone in that. This place is a bit of a mess. That's why it doesn't help to get uptight about "misplaced" messages. I only mention it because some things are device specific and this particular section doesn't get that many visitors.

It might also be worth mentioning that the "device list" is a regular issue around here, with lots of complaints about devices not showing up.

Then there are various places where device lists appear, from the browser graphical user interface (GUI) to the apps, with the Netgear genie thrown into the mix.

If you have a bit of time to waste, try this:

Search - NETGEAR Communities – device list

[Hoho223 · Accepted solution]

The mystery Chromecast device has been solved.   After  looking up the MAC address given for the Chromecast in my Orbi device list I find that it is an imbedded Chromecast in a Vizio "smart" TV that we hardly ever use.  Who would have thunk...... Thanks for the replies.

[michaelkenward]

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@Hoho223 wrote:

Who would have thunk......

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Very few. Which is why this question is frequently asked.

Now you know.