eero App: Devices
This article will explain the Devices tab of the eero App, its functionality, and address common questions about how to best make use of the features it offers.
What device information is available with eero?
Breakdown of Device details page
How do I identify the devices on my network and assign nicknames?
How do I differentiate between the devices on my connected device list?
Why doesn’t my device manufacturer look familiar?
Can I give my devices nicknames?
How do I give my devices nicknames?
Why does one device appear in my device list more than once?
How do I see how much bandwidth my devices are using?
How do I block unwanted devices on my network?
How many devices can one eero support?
Does eero support devices that use MAC Address Randomization?
What problem will I have on my eero network if I enable MAC Address Randomization?
Can I disable MAC Address Randomization on my devices?
How do I add devices to my network?
The Devices tab in the app contains a list of all active and recently active devices that are associated with your network. To add a device to the network, you will need to connect it using its internal WiFi interface, or connect it manually to your eero using an Ethernet cable. Using the App, you are also able to add a device to your network by tapping on the blue “+” button at the top right corner of the screen.
Devices on the network will be shown with an icon that helps to more easily identify their function. Phones, laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and IoT devices such as cameras and speakers will be identified in this manner, in addition to a number of other device types.
Connection Type and Strength
To the right of the device’s name, you will find an icon that helps to identify the device’s connection type, be it wired or wireless. Tapping on the device’s name in the app will take you to the Device Details page for that device.
Here, you will find additional information about the device’s connection type, such as its IP address. In addition to the general information regarding its connection type, you will also find details about the connection strength, in cases where the device is connected to the network wirelessly.
Wireless connection types are categorized in the following ways:
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The device is hardwired to the eero via Ethernet |
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The device is connected to the network on the 2.4 GHz channel |
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The device is connected to the network on the 5 GHz channel |
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The device is connected to the network on the 6 GHz channel |
When your devices are connected to your network wirelessly, they’ll use the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency. The big difference between these two frequencies is range vs. speed. With the 2.4 frequency, the waves are much wider and are able to provide you with greater coverage at greater distances. However, because of the wavelengths, data may travel slower. Whereas with the 5 GHz frequency, the waves are narrower and aren’t capable of traveling as far. You will be able to achieve the highest download and upload speeds when on 5 GHz.
When on a wireless network, either the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency, the strength of your device to the eero network is represented in five status bars.
| The device has an excellent, stable connection to your network. You should be able to get the most out of your network speed. | |
| The device has a strong, stable connection to your network. You should experience close to maximum speed. | |
| The device has a good, stable connection to your network. You may experience some drop-off in speeds. | |
| The device has a poor connection to your network. You may see slower speeds and/or buffering on this device. We recommend moving your device closer to the nearest eero to get a better signal. |
What device information is available with eero?
Knowing more about the devices on your network is important, and through the eero application, we’ve made it easy to identify some of the most important information. To find out more about the individual devices on your network, launch the eero application and tap on the section Number of devices currently on your network.
You will see two sections, one for the devices currently on your network and another for devices that were recently connected. For devices that are no longer connected, you will be able to edit the device nickname and view the MAC address, but no other information will be available until it comes back online.With connected devices, you can get more information, specifically regarding the current connection status of that device to your eero network.
Breakdown of Device details page
Nickname
By tapping the Nickname section, you’ll be able to edit the name of your device on the network. This will help with identifying that device more easily, especially when used with Family Profiles.
Profile
Through the Device details page, you can quickly assign a device to a profile. By tapping into this section, you’ll be able to assign (or reassign) a device to a specific profile.
Connection type
The strength of connection of your device to your eero network is represented in five bars. Full green bars means that your device has a very stable, strong connection to your network. Yellow bars or no bars at all means the device is having a poor connection. If a device is having a poor connection, try moving the device closer to an eero to get a stronger signal. If this doesn’t help, you can try toggling off and on WiFi on the device to establish a stronger connection.
Connected to
This will identify which eero your device is currently connected to. If you see that your device is connected to an eero that isn't closest to that device, toggle the WiFi on your device off and back on.
Activity
You can view the most recent data usage statistics for your device using the Activity section. This is useful if you are trying to identify devices that are using abnormally large amounts of data.
Type
Devices are sorted into general categories such as Desktop, Laptop, and Phone, among others. When a device connects to the network, it will be sorted into one of these categories, and show up under Type.
Manufacturer
If you are unaware of a device on your network, you can typically quickly identify what it is based on the manufacturer. These include Apple, Samsung, and Amazon.
Hostname
This is the name of the device. Some products will show a familiar name, such as a name, however others may have the name from the manufacturer.
IP address
This is the IP address that has been assigned to the device on your network.
MAC address
Each device has a MAC address, which is a unique address for your hardware that helps to identify it on your network.
How do I identify the devices on my network and assign nicknames?
How do I differentiate between the devices on my connected device list?
When viewing your connected device list, some devices may seem unfamiliar. This is because different manufacturers report device information differently. If you come across a device in your list that you don’t recognize, first try seeing if you recognize its manufacturer.
If all else fails, you can look up your connected device’s IP or MAC address and compare it to the device addresses listed in the eero app. This information can usually be found in the Wi-Fi or network settings of your client device.
If you’re still having trouble differentiating between devices on your connected device list, contact support and we can work together to figure things out!
Why doesn’t my device manufacturer look familiar?
Most devices carry a device ID that correlates to that specific device. However, some devices contain wireless/Ethernet chipsets made by third party companies. For example, many PC and Android devices include wireless chipsets made by third parties.
The device manufacturer information displayed in the eero app reflects the devices wireless/Ethernet chipset manufacturer. We recommend creating nicknames for your devices so you can easily identify each one.
Can I give my devices nicknames?
Yes! We encourage you to assign nicknames to your devices. Nicknames make it much easier to identify the various devices on your network.
How do I give my devices nicknames?
To assign or edit device nicknames:
- Open the eero app (you should land on the Dashboard screen)
- To locate the device tap on the Device Group it is associated with (Computers, Entertainment, Home, Personal or Blocked)
- Tap the Device you would like to give a Nickname
- Tap Nickname at the top of the screen
- Type in the Nickname you would like to assign the device then tap Save on the top right corner
Why does one device appear in my device list more than once?
Some devices have two wireless cards. As a result, there is a chance that certain devices will appear in your connected device list multiple times when connected over both WiFi and Ethernet.
How do I see how much bandwidth my devices are using?
Curious how much bandwidth the devices on your network are using at any given time? Through the eero app, you can view real-time data consumption by following the instructions below:
- Open the eero app
- Tap the Device Category, the Device is located under (Computer, Personal, Entertainment, Home and Other)
- Tap the Device
- The Device Bandwidth usage is listed under Activity
- If the Device is Idle it will show the Last Active time
Note: Local network traffic, such as downloading movies from a local media server, won’t factor into these usage numbers.
How do I block unwanted devices on my network?
If you notice a device that shouldn’t be on your network, you can restrict it from accessing the internet by blocking it from the connected device list.
If you’re using the iOS version of the app, tap on the Home tab to open the list of connected devices. You should see devices separated by category, with recently connected devices appearing below this.
You can tap on any device on this list, then scroll to the bottom of the menu that appears and select Block From Network to disable network access on that device.
Blocked devices will now appear in a new list that populates at the bottom of the home screen. You can tap on any device on this list to remove it from the block list, which will re-enable network access.
Note: Device blocking is not available in bridge mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many devices can one eero support?
One eero can support up to 128 devices. That’s one very connected home. However, if those devices are heavily using the Internet for activities like streaming video, you’ll probably see best results using up to 30 devices with each eero.
Does eero support devices that use MAC Address Randomization?
Yes. Whether your devices use randomized addresses or not, your eero system will still provide the same seamless, whole-home WiFi connectivity that it always has. Randomized MAC addresses are becoming more popular in new devices, as an improvement to protecting user privacy.
What problem will I have on my eero network if I enable MAC Address Randomization?
eero networks also use the MAC address as a unique identifier to provide connectivity. For devices that change the MAC address between connections, there are a few things to keep in mind. For instance, a device that randomizes its address might not be identifiable and will show up with an “Unknown” type in the mobile app. eero features also depend on devices to connect with a consistent MAC address:
- DHCP reservations and port forwarding rules
- New device notifications
- Device nicknames and identification
- Pausing and blocking devices
- Profile assignment
Can I disable MAC Address Randomization on my devices?
MAC address randomization is an effective way to maintain privacy in public settings, where you don’t know who is looking at your connectivity and location history. But, your eero network is managed by you. You don’t necessarily need this protection for devices in your home. On certain devices, you can disable MAC address randomization when joining your eero network. This option is available for: iPadOS 14 (beta), iOS 14 (beta), and WatchOS 7 (beta), Windows 10, and Android 10.
How do I add devices to my network?
To add a device to your eero network, open your device's WiFi settings and find your network name from the list of devices. Once you have selected your network from the list, type in your network password. In just a couple of seconds, your device should be online.
After a device has joined your network, you can also go ahead and assign it a nickname from the eero app.