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WiFi Intruder or something to do with Win 10 Updates?
Hi all
I’m in a quandary and need some expert help.
We’re in Brisbane, Australia. This query is about whether an unknown device that connected to our WiFi hotspot is just an intruder who’s discovered our password or some virtual device to do with Win 10 updates.
My family has a Netgear, BigPond Wi-Fi 4G Advanced II AirCard 790S hotspot. A day or so ago, an unknown device was shown on the online manager page. Being alone, and knowing no other devices were on, I panicked and, without noting the device details, I just got off the internet. Later, when I’d thought about it and got back on to see if it re-joined and snare its details, it didn't re-appear.
Today (15/8/2016), it reappeared - my wife was also online this time. I checked with her what devices she knew were on and the suspect one seemed definitely an "extra". So, this time, I logged in to the WiFi manager, got the “stranger’s” details and blocked it.
Devices connected to our hotspot are shown, I gather, by their “device name” which in my case is the name I gave my laptop when setting it up. My wife’s devices seem to have default names which I imagine devices take if you don’t give them a custom name. In the connected devices panel, the “stranger’s” showed as a 12-digit Mac identifier (i.e., paired numbers and/or letters separated by hyphens). The online WiFi manager page, if you log into it, will also show a device’s IP identifier. In this case, the “stranger’s” was “IP: 0.0.0.0.” I looked up the Mac number on a site called "Arul's Utilities" and it told me the manufacturer (Western Digital, 1599 North Broadway, Rochester Mn 55906, United States) which doesn't mean anything to me.
I next googled "IP: 0.0.0.0" but I have to admit not really understanding a damn thing I read. “Hosts” and "all IPv4 addresses on the local machine" left my head swimming. (Yes, I’m an old person and I’m just not computer-literate to that extent). But, it put a suspicion in my mind that I'd blocked something that's part of our home network to do with Win 10 updating. If so, what?? I’m inclined to doubt this since the “stranger” is still blocked, and Security Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based Systems (KB3172729) has just successfully downloaded.
Anyhow, my gratitude for any patient and kind soul who can throw any light on the situation.
Yours
ausgumbie