Unknown device connected with unknown connection type? Nefarious or harmless?

[cupoftea]

Intermittently I seen an unknown device show up in my attached devices list on the Orbi app, always with the DEV prefix and with device type "network". It usually shows as connected to my upstairs satellite (RBS50 - named 'Tines' as you see in the screenshot). At first this unknown device showed a few days ago, and displayed in the list as connected by ethernet to the Tines satellite unit, even though there are no ethernet cables connected to that unit! I blocked it, yet today it appeared again, first with "Unknown" connection type, and then as "Unknown WiFi" (when every other wireless device mentions the connected band either 2.4GHz or 5GHz) - see screenshots. This time I didn't block them, and two minutes later they're both gone again.

Is this a quirk of the Orbi or something nefarious I need to worry about?

Unknown connection typeUnknown WiFi band

[cupoftea]

Unknown connection typePosting the first screenshot again as it didn't upload properly

[CrimpOn]

I seem to recall that "inline" images have to be approved by a forum moderator, while "attachments" do not.

That may be why the inline images are not showing up -- yet.

Do you by any chance have an iPhone or iPad that recently got a firmware update?

[cupoftea]

Oh I see! Attached the first screenshot here. No firmware updates recently - I installed the Orbi after we'd all got iOS 14, and have turned 'private address' off on all iOS devices in the home.

[cupoftea]

I meant to add; I've tried looking up the MAC address but no manufacturer comes up. Attached the second screenshot here. I'm on firmware V2.5.2.4.

[CrimpOn]

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@cupoftea wrote:

I meant to add; I've tried looking up the MAC address but no manufacturer comes up. Attached the second screenshot here. I'm on firmware V2.5.2.4.

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The "app" is probably reporting the device name as "DEV" plus the last part of the MAC address and the type as "Network" because the MAC does  not match any vendor in the table (as we both have discovered). "no match".

It might be worth a few minutes to open the Settings...WiFi" on those "i-Things" and see what the last part of the MAC address is on each of them.  I am not 100% certain, but I have a feeling that iPhones substitute for the vendor code and do not change the last part of the MAC address.

This may have nothing to do with the problem (What I know about the "app" is really primitive.  We "DOS Lovers" tend to stick with the web interface and secretely wish Netgear had provided a command line interface!)

[cupoftea]

Many thanks for the response. I have checked the i-Things and none of them match. The rogue device hasn't returned yet but will keep an eye out for it.

By the way, the Orbi does allow shell access via telnet. You can enable this on the debug page.