Is your internet connection on your slow and sluggish? This can happen if a swarm of WiFi devices is connected to its network. Furthermore, your WiFi extender’s bandwidth is likely being consumed by your neighbors without your knowledge. In such a case, it is best to exclude unknown devices from your extender’s WiFi network. Here we will discuss various methods for keeping track of the devices connected to your Netgear WiFi and blocking them if necessary.
How do I see the connected devices to my Netgear Extender?
You can view connected devices in one of two ways:
Device Manager: Displays a list of connected devices to your router. Each device’s wireless connection type (wired, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) and Offline/Online status are also displayed.
Network Map: Displays your network’s topology. This feature displays the status of your router, satellites, or extenders. Tap a device to see which devices are linked to it.
Note:Please keep in mind that the Network Map feature is only available if you have a Mesh Extender connected to your network. This tile does not appear if you do not have a Mesh Extender connected.
What is MAC Filtering?
- Before we walk you through how to block devices from WiFi, let’s first define MAC filtering and how it works.
- The Media Access Control, or MAC Filter, is used to create a list of devices that are allowed or blocked. To begin, you must know the MAC address of the devices you want to allow or block.
- A MAC address is a 12-character address assigned to a device at random. The device remains the same regardless of its location. The MAC address of a connected device can be found using the Netgear extender’s web user interface, i.e. mywifiext.
- While changing the WiFi password is an excellent way to limit access to an unknown device, it is both difficult and ineffective. And there’s no guarantee that no one will crack the new password and re-access your WiFi network. You must also re-enter the new password for all previously connected devices. Alternatively, blocking a device is more effective and places it on the blacklist for a ‘lifetime’ ban.
So, that’s all you need to know about MAC filtering. Now, let’s learn how to block someone from using your WiFi.
Follow the steps to Block any device from your Netgear Wifi Extender:
Step 1 – Make Sure That the Extender is On
First things first, be certain that your Netgear WiFi range extender is powered on. You can check the Power LED status to ensure that the extender is properly turned on and receiving constant power supply.
If the extender is turned off, insert the power adapter of your Netgear extender into a wall socket and power it on. However, keep in mind to check the wall socket; it should not be damaged.
Step 2 – Switch On a PC or Laptop
The next step to block devices from the WiFi network of your Netgear extender is to switch on a PC or laptop. After that, connect it to a reliable and high-speed WiFi network by navigating to the WiFi manager.
Step 3 – Login to Your Netgear Extender
Now, pull up an internet browser of your choice. Nonetheless, the browser should be updated to the latest version.
In the address bar, type the default web address of your Netgear range extender and press the Enter key. Wait until the login page loads properly.
Once done, insert the admin user ID and passphrase when prompted and hit Log In.
Step 4 – Block Devices From WiFi
As soon as you reach the Netgear genie setup wizard, do the following:
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Click on the Connected Devices option.
- Afterward, check the box that says Enable Access Control.
- Choose the device for which you want to block access and click on the Deny check box.
- Once done, click on the Save button to make changes into effect.
In this manner, you can block devices from the WiFi network of your Netgear range extender. It is suggested to always make sure that only known devices connect to your wireless network.