"Remove device"

Mand

In the app, will "Remove device" simply remove it from my own list - ie make it invisible - or does it disconnect the device from my network? I'm seeing one mystery device, and don't want to stop seeing it if it's going to remain connected.

kltaylor

Hi @Mand welcome to the forums, thanks for asking your question.

Removing the device will simply remove it from your list, however, if the device reconnects again, it will appear again.  If you want to remove a device that you're not familiar with, block it instead.  One of my favorite methods to use when  someone (legit) will come to ask why they can't access the internet.

Mand

Thanks @kltaylor ... but if it only removes it from my list, why would the device need to reconnect? - it never disconnected!
Secondly, how do I block it?

VioletChepil

@Mand to block the device you'd need Fingbox!
For removal of device, what were you thinking would be better?
You can temporarily hide it by removing it. But if it connects again, it would reappear for security purposes. 

Mand

Oh, I get it now.
Trouble is I'm seeing a mystery device, and I haven't got a Fingbox (nor the budget for one). Looks like I'm stuck with this device on my network. Already changed my router password so I'm out of ideas. (And the whole network thing is Here Be Dragons territory for me, I haven't had reason to dig into it until now.)

VioletChepil

@Mand do you know what the device is?
Does it belong to you?

Mand

The app says it's an Amazon FireTV streaming dongle. Definitely doesn't belong to me, i've never owned one of those. I live alone, but I've asked everyone who may ever have connected (only two people: my son and my cousin) and they say no. Anyway, it has been connected while they've been miles away.

Are there things that could mimic this - look like this but be something else? I have had a few broadband engineers in the house recently, using their own devices to connect and test. It doesn't seem likely those would be made by Amazon and appear to be streaming dongles!

Today I see it disconnected, though of course I don't know if that will last. Still intrigued as to what/whose it is.

VioletChepil

Would changing WiFi password be an option?
Also - here are some tips from other users on getting rid of piggybacking devices. 
https://community.fing.com/discussion/1212/neighbor-has-hacked-into-my-router-and-is-piggybacking-what-can-i-do

Mand

I changed the password a few days before I found the Fing app and saw this device!

I'll have a look at that link today - thank you

kltaylor

Mand said:

Oh, I get it now.
Trouble is I'm seeing a mystery device, and I haven't got a Fingbox (nor the budget for one). Looks like I'm stuck with this device on my network. Already changed my router password so I'm out of ideas. (And the whole network thing is Here Be Dragons territory for me, I haven't had reason to dig into it until now.)

I wouldn't say that your "stuck" with it on your network.  There are methods that you can use to ensure that all devices listed in your network display via Fing are indeed accounted for.

kltaylor

Mand said:

The app says it's an Amazon FireTV streaming dongle. Definitely doesn't belong to me, i've never owned one of those. I live alone, but I've asked everyone who may ever have connected (only two people: my son and my cousin) and they say no. Anyway, it has been connected while they've been miles away.

Are there things that could mimic this - look like this but be something else? I have had a few broadband engineers in the house recently, using their own devices to connect and test. It doesn't seem likely those would be made by Amazon and appear to be streaming dongles!

Today I see it disconnected, though of course I don't know if that will last. Still intrigued as to what/whose it is.

Have you physically inspected any televisions in your home?
When the device is active is there a connection to when your son and/or cousin is present inside your residence?

Mand

Neither of them has been here recently. But I asked them and neither has a device that could look like anything FireTV-related.
Oh, and I haven't got a television currently. The only internet-capable devices in this house are phone, laptop, printer, kindle, and the chromecast which is now unplugged.

However, I have a new router as of this morning. As soon as it lets me, I'll change its password - for now I can't load that page. Going to ask the engineer about that - one should be visiting on Monday.

The mystery thing did disconnect a couple of days ago (according to Fing app) for no apparent reason... and the phone line / wifi problems are still being investigated. If the mystery device stays away I'll forget about it.

Mand

Sorry to drop you for so long! Life got in the way...

I have to confess that I found out what the mystery device is: my kindle! DUH. The thing is, I was ruling it out as a possibility because I definitely had named something "kindle". I remember thumb-typing it into the field and deciding whether to use a capital K... But somehow it became un-named. It never has wifi on, at least not unless I put it on for a reason, and at least once I'd double-checked that it wasn't connected, so I do have a sort of excuse for being so dense. But eventually I thought of looking at its own settings, and its IP address matches.

I am almost too embarrassed to admit it - but I owed you an explanation after you spent time thinking up possibilities.

VioletChepil

Oh thanks for reporting @Mand and glad you sorted out what the device was!