Unknown MAC address

[jra505]

Hi,

I've just noticed a MAC address that I don't recognise, apparently connected to my R7800. According to the router, it is a Huawei phone - the same model as the one that I use, and is already connected to the router with a MAC address that I do recognise. I've searched the unknown MAC address on a vendor look up website, and it is unknown - which I find very weird.

Has anyone else seen a "phantom" MAC address connect to their router like this?

Thanks,

jra505

 

[cptnoblivious]

Yup, my OnePlus 6 connects with different MACs on different frequencies, neither of which matches the MAC in the phone settings. In checking on that, seems to be something Android is known to do.

 

[dev_null]

Look for "randomized MAC" in the network (edit: "Connections" on modern OS) settings on your phone. Disable it.

iPhone has similar setting.

 

[jra505]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies, however I don't think that it is the explanation. This mysterious MAC address appears in addition to the expected MAC address for my phone, and is assigned a different IP address. If I turn my phone off, the expected MAC address disappears off the list of connected devices, but the mysterious one remains.

I think the router is throwing a red herring by naming it as a Huawei phone, and I think it is something else. It doesn't seem to have any traffic, and so I am tempted to just block it. But I would love to know what it is.

Thanks,

jra505

 

[cptnoblivious]

@jra505 block it, see what breaks. Sometimes that's the best way to identify stuff.

Post up an updated if you don't mind, I'm curious now

 

[jra505]

I'm beginning to think that the device does not exist and is showing in the "attached devices" screen of the router due to a bug. I've read that a lot of Netgear routers have suffered from bugs with this aspect for years.

I've run an app on my phone called Network Scanner, which purportedly finds all other devices connected to the same LAN as the phone. It finds everything, apart from the mystery device - as such, I don't think it exists.

I'm actually using @Voxel latest firmware, so if it is a bug with Netgear's own firmware then it seems to have been copied across into Voxel's.

Thanks,

jra505