Duplicate or unnamed device entries appearing on router dashboard

This guide will explain why device entries might appear multiple times or listed as unnamed on your router dashboard and how to handle them.

Every device has a default Media Access Control (MAC) address used by routers to identify it on a network. If it uses a randomized MAC address instead of the default one, this might cause it to appear more than once on your router dashboard.

What is a randomized MAC address?

Many operating systems now support MAC address randomization. When it is enabled, your device uses a randomized MAC address (also called a Private Address) instead of its actual hardware address when connecting to a Wi-Fi network to protect your privacy.

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Why do my devices duplicate?

If your device does not use a randomized MAC address, it should only appear once on your router dashboard.

However, devices with a randomized MAC address can appear more than once on the router dashboard. Most commonly, your device generates one randomized MAC address for the router’s 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel and a different one for its 5 GHz channel. In this case, your device will appear twice on the router dashboard.

Since settings are unique to each device entry, the settings you previously configured for the first device entry will no longer apply to the new duplicate. This includes:

• The device name
• The device’s IP address
• The device’s connection type (Router VPN, No VPN, or MediaStreamer)
• Any port forwarding rules set to that device

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Which of my devices uses randomized MAC addresses?

If any of your devices uses a randomized MAC address, you will see next to the device name on the router dashboard.Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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How to handle duplicate device entries on the router dashboard

If you do not need to configure any specific VPN settings or port forwarding rules for your device, you can simply leave the duplicate entries on the router dashboard. They will not negatively affect your connection.

If you prefer to remove the duplicate devices from your router dashboard, follow these steps:

1. On the router dashboard, tap on a device name to open the Edit device details screen.
2. Check the Last seen time at the bottom of the list. You will want to keep the device that was most recently connected.
3. For the duplicate older devices, select Reset Device Settings at the bottom of the screen.
4. When asked to confirm, select Reset Device Settings. It may take up to 24 hours for the device to be completely removed from the router dashboard.

Disable MAC address randomization

Alternatively, you can disable MAC address randomization on your device. Randomized MAC addresses help protect your privacy on public Wi-Fi, but they are not necessary in your own private home.

To disable MAC address randomization:

• iOS and WatchOS
  Go to Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap the “i” icon next to your network and toggle Private Wi-Fi Address off.
• Windows 10 or 11
  Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi. Select your network and turn Random hardware addresses off.
• Android
  Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the gear icon next to your network, tap MAC address type, and select Phone MAC. (Menu names may vary by manufacturer).

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Why is my device listed as an unnamed device?

When you connect a device to your router, that device is usually identified by its hostname, which appears on the router dashboard. The hostname will normally be the name of the device (e.g., MacBook Pro, John’s iPhone, etc.).

However, sometimes the device hostname is hidden on the router dashboard. This is because the device’s manufacturer or operating system developer has hidden the hostname to protect your privacy.

If your device’s hostname is hidden on the router dashboard, it will be displayed as “Unnamed-device” followed by the last six digits of its MAC address. For example, “Unnamed-device-DF-CB-8E”.

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How to identify an unnamed device

You can confirm whether the unnamed device entry belongs to your device by comparing the last six digits of the device entry to your device’s MAC address. To find your device’s MAC address:

iOS:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Wi-Fi.
3. Tap ℹ next to the name of your Wi-Fi network
4. Your device’s MAC address is listed as the Wi-Fi Address.

macOS (macOS 13 Ventura and newer):

1. Click .
2. Open System Settings.
3. Open Network, then click Wi-Fi
4. Click the Details… button next to your connected network.
5. Click Hardware on the left menu. Your device’s MAC address is listed here.

Non-Samsung Android phones:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Network & internet (or Connections) > Wi-Fi.
3. Tap the gear icon next to your network, then tap Advanced.
4. Your device’s MAC address is displayed at the bottom of the menu.

Samsung phones:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap About phone.
3. Tap Status information.
4. Your device’s MAC address is displayed under Phone Wi-Fi MAC address.

Windows:

1. Click Start.
2. Type cmd into the search bar and press Enter.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
4. Your device’s MAC address is listed as the Physical Address.

Linux:

1. Open the Terminal.
2. Run the following command:
   Ip link
   Or on older distros:
   ifconfig -a
3. The string next to link/ether (or HWaddr) is your device’s MAC address.

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