Rogue devices showing up on windows 8 network in file exporer.

This is an old thread but ...

WIFI 101

Some basic tips to protect your WIFI and AP.

(a)  Make sure your WIFI AP has a good password to protect settings.

(b) Reduce the AP WIFI power level to 1 (one). Make sure all your devices can connect and work correctly. If needed increase power in increments of 1. Test your devices at each step. Stop when they all work. Don't go higher than needed.

(c) Change your AP WIFI SSID so it doesn't contain any useful information. No family names, addresses, apt numbers. Don't give away anything useful.

(d) Collect the MACs of your *wired* NICs. Enable WIFI MAC filtering. Enter the MACs of the *wired* NICs into the "Not Allowed on WIFI" list.

(e) Use the strongest authentication type your AP supports. Don't use WEP.

Bob

Good tips, except these two:

(b) Reduce the AP WIFI power level to 1 (one). Make sure all your devices can connect and work correctly. If...

I like my phone to connect as soon as I'm entering the building. Maximum power!!!

Power level 1 doesn't even reach the bathroom...

...Enter the MACs of the *wired* NICs into the "Not Allowed on WIFI" list.

Specifically blacklisting when blacklist/all is the policy? Pointless.

Filtering is already on and is disallowing ALL MAC addresses except the ones whitelisted. Don't protect yourself needlessly from yourself...

//3ICE

I know this is an old thread but having experienced the same with Window 10 latest, greatest & licenced.

I have noticed over the past year many devices pop up in my network, phone, laptops, tablets etc. and had the same concerns - I even upgraded my router to the UK BT Smarthub6 with increased security protection... it kept happening.

However, as was explained by an earlier post it seems that it's only devices which automatically do the hand shake thing and as long as it's not been assigned an IP address and nothing more.

I put the test by taking all my wireless devices off the network, confirmed that they were not connected and either only on cellular or non local network, seconds later my devices appeared in the list in the network, confirmed they weren't even connected but had tried the handshake when scanning for wireless network, so seems my worries are at ease now :-)

Mobile phones appear on my home network. Originally, I thought the problem was the WPA Key was enabled, but it is not. I have WPA2,  MAC filtering and I do not broadcast my SSID. The Fall Creator's Update, v1709 did not fix this problem.

is everyone here using a legit copy of Windows!? A reddit thread says that these issues could be to do with installing dodgy copies !

My Windows is definitely valid. I have Windows 10 and Windows Update has updated it.