Modern Wi-Fi routers have made it effortless to manage devices on your home or office networks. It means you can easily connect and disconnect devices. As and when situations arise, routers make it easy to block and unblock devices on a Wi-Fi network as well. In this guide, I will share with you how to block/unblock a device on a Wi-Fi network using your Wi-Fi router. You may also find similar options for wired networks.
Why Block Devices From a Router
Here are some common reasons for you to block devices from a router.
Remove Unauthorized Devices
You may want to remove devices that have connected to your Wi-Fi network without your permission. You can block these devices so that they cannot connect to your network again.
Network Security
A connected device could be draining your network resources or causing malware-related issues. Therefore, when you find such a device, block it from your network as soon as possible.
Data Protection
A device that you previously connected to the network may be accessing sensitive information. In this case, it makes more sense to block the device than change the Wi-Fi password.
Avoid Network Overloading
Do you think there are too many devices connected to your network? Instead of locating these devices and manually disconnecting them, you can block these devices using the Wi-Fi router.
Manage Guest Connections
Some guest devices tend to stay connected and freeload off your network even after the specified time has passed. You can use device blocking features to kick these devices.
Manual Control
Router-level device control is also beneficial in other instances. For instance, you may want to avoid some network congestion or enforce a device policy in your office/institution.
Note that I am talking about defensive blocking here. You may need proactive blocking features for purposes such as parental controls and scheduling. For instance, you may not want your kids to access the Internet at specific times.
Now that you understand the reasons for blocking devices on a network, I will discuss some options for doing so. One of the most effective options available is MAC Filtering.
What is MAC Filtering
MAC Filtering is a network security feature that determines which devices can connect to the network. It works based on the MAC address, which stands for Media Access Control address. All devices connected to a network, regardless of size, will have a MAC address, which is assigned to the Network Interface Card of the device.
A MAC address could look like this: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E.
You get two major options when it comes to MAC filtering. One option is to use the allowlist method, which ensures that only devices on the list that you have previously approved can connect to the device. There is a blocklist method that works by denying connections to devices added to the blocked list.
Though MAC filtering has limitations, it is one of the most effective ways to block and unblock devices on a Wi-Fi network. Because these MAC addresses are unique and spoofing them requires expertise, you can use this feature to control access to your wireless network.
You should be aware that you can block devices on a Wi-Fi network using alternative methods, such as IP address filtering; however, these may not be as convenient or readily available as the MAC filtering method.
Block a Device From a Router
We shall now see how to block a device from a router.
For this tutorial, I will guide you through the steps for setting up MAC filtering on a TP-Link router. However, once you understand the process, it should be equally easy on most routers.
- You must ensure that your computer/smartphone is connected to the Wi-Fi router network using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
- Open a web browser on your device and enter the default router IP address of the Wi-Fi router. You can find this IP address on the router’s product label. Alternatively, you can locate it through the Network Settings on your device.
- Once the login page appears, log in to the dashboard by entering your credentials. Unless you have changed the password beforehand, you can use the default credentials provided on the product label.
- After opening the dashboard, navigate to Network Settings > MAC Filtering. On some routers, such as the one shown below, the section could be called Access Control.
- Before blocking a device, you must choose between two options: Whitelist or Blocklist. If you simply want to block a specific device from accessing the network, use the Blocklist (Deny List) option. This way, you can select the device to be blocked. The Whitelist method requires you to add all other devices to the Allowlist, which can be cumbersome if you have a large number of devices.
- You can click the Add button to start adding a new device to the Deny List. You can use the pop-up interface to choose a device from the list. This list contains devices that were previously connected to your Wi-Fi network.
- You can select a device and click the Add button. In a few seconds, the router will add the device to the Deny List. Alternatively, you can manually enter the MAC address in the field.
You can see the device on the list when you open the Access Control page the next time. By the way, the Delete button on the right side will help you unblock the device when you choose to do so.
Wrapping Up
I hope this guide helped you remove an unauthorized device or improve your network control. Since MAC filtering is built into most modern routers, you can utilize this method for all your home and office needs. In spite of potential limitations, it can help keep your network safer.
