Guest WiFi Band can see WeMo Switches?

[username0475]

I have several Belkin WeMo WiFi switches around the house & noticed recently that when I am on the Guest SSID of my AC68U router on Merlin 378.55 firmware - I can see & control my switches.

Obviously this is surprising- as anyone who has download the WeMo mobile app & my Guest network PW can control my switches remotely or inside my house.

Is this something I can turn off using the ASUS UI or is this a configuration issue with the WeMo setup?

 

[Phil Schaffer]

I have several Belkin WeMo WiFi switches around the house & noticed recently that when I am on the Guest SSID of my AC68U router on Merlin 378.55 firmware - I can see & control my switches.

Obviously this is surprising- as anyone who has download the WeMo mobile app & my Guest network PW can control my switches remotely or inside my house.

Is this something I can turn off using the ASUS UI or is this a configuration issue with the WeMo setup?

I don't think you're actually seeing your WeMo devices on your Guest Network. The WeMo app is connecting to the Belkin server over your guest network and then sending the commands back to your devices through the SSID they're connected to. Since your already logged into your WeMo app, it's working just as if you were out of the house or on a 3G/4G network. Once you're WeMo devices are configured, your phone doesn't have to be on the same network to control them, that's intentional.

 

[username0475]

I don't think you're actually seeing your WeMo devices on your Guest Network. The WeMo app is connecting to the Belkin server over your guest network and then sending the commands back to your devices through the SSID they're connected to. Since your already logged into your WeMo app, it's working just as if you were out of the house or on a 3G/4G network. Once you're WeMo devices are configured, your phone doesn't have to be on the same network to control them, that's intentional.

I think I understand what you are saying.

Basically I am running through the WeMo servers & not through my router.

Anyway I can confirm this?

 

[Phil Schaffer]

I think I understand what you are saying.

Basically I am running through the WeMo servers & not through my router.

Anyway I can confirm this?

Find the ip of your WeMo device, Connect a computer to your Guest Network and then try to ping the WeMo device. But I can tell you that I'm miles away from my Home Network, not connected to my router at all obviously, and the WeMo app can "see" my devices. That's just the way the app works. I suppose you could disable "Remote Access" to a device and see if you can still control it while on the Guest Network, but that's really kind of extreme.

Everything you've described is the intended behavior of the WeMo devices.

 

[username0475]

Find the ip of your WeMo device, Connect a computer to your Guest Network and then try to ping the WeMo device. But I can tell you that I'm miles away from my Home Network, not connected to my router at all obviously, and the WeMo app can "see" my devices. That's just the way the app works. I suppose you could disable "Remote Access" to a device and see if you can still control it while on the Guest Network, but that's really kind of extreme.

Everything you've described is the intended behavior of the WeMo devices.

Funny you should mentioned this above: I actually tested this out - turning off my remote access in the WeMo app - & it did disable my controlling of the switches. Can still see them but they were grayed out.

Going to test your other scenarios when I get home.

 

[Phil Schaffer]

They're greyed out because the app still remembers them but can't see them. That's your proof right there.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[username0475]

Just wanted to report - for others who may search & find this thread in the future - that uninstalling & reinstalling the WeMo app on the Guest Network band prevented me from seeing any WeMo switches on my network & actually asked me to setup the switches as if they were new.

And since the switches are were not apparent on the guest band (vs. apparent on my other band) - a guest would not know what to look for.

So this satisfies me that a guest to my house would not be able to take over my switches via the guest band.

Thanks for your feedback Phil Schaffer!