MAC Addresses (media access control addresses) are unique identifiers assigned to each network interface controller MAC address filters maintain a list of the unique MAC address assigned to the physical network connection hardware within each device authorized to connect to a network, and reject connection requests from any hardware not possessing an address in that list. Recently, I participated in a (virtual) discussion about the security of home networks – an important topic as hundreds of millions of people around the world continue to work remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.ĭuring the discussion, a colleague in the field mentioned that ideally people should lock their Wi-Fi networks not only with proper encryption, but also with a MAC address filter that allows only specific authorized devices to connect to the network. The MAC address “device filtering” feature of your LAN’s router is unlikely to provide you with any significant security benefits – and, if you enable the feature, it may cause you heartaches.

Guest network mac address issues