Employee Device Issues

Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro supports connections from devices that have enabled MAC address randomization (private address) in all zones.  

Through our Advanced Device Typing feature, Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro will still be able to properly recognize devices with a random MAC and assign them to the proper device category and icon. The device brand, name and model should also still be displayed. 

Using a private (random) MAC address is a great way to improve privacy, particularly when connecting to guest networks like the one you created in Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro. 

Certain features and policies rely on a consistent MAC address on the device to function, which you should keep in mind for devices connecting to both your Secure zone and Employee zone. These include: 

• Employee device assignments and any rules and Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro features associated with those assignments 
• Secure device groupings 
• Device-level and employee-level Content Access settings and Shield rules 
• Sharing rules for devices in the Secure zone 
• IP reservations and port forwarding 
• Device approvals 

In most cases, a device will use the same randomized MAC on saved networks. You can assign devices using a private (random) MAC to employees and set rules without issue.  

There could be issues if the MAC changes. Every time a device changes its MAC address, the device will appear as new in Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro. These rules and configurations will need to be applied to the device again. Depending on how often devices rotate their MAC address, it can make maintain the rules you've set a challenge. 

Device Type	Default New Network Connection	Same random MAC used on saved networks?	When does the private (random) MAC rotate?
iOS 14 or later	Random (Private) MAC	Yes	Stays the same even when the network is forgotten
WatchOS 14 or later	Random (Private) MAC	Yes	Stays the same even when the network is forgotten
iPadOS 9 or later	Random (Private) MAC	Yes	Stays the same even when the network is forgotten
Android 10	Random (Private) MAC	Yes	Stays the same even when the network is forgotten
Windows 10	Device MAC	Yes	Changes when network is forgotten or can change every 24 hours (optional)

 

• Set up your rules and assignments based on both the device MAC address and private (random) MAC address. Since most devices will use the same private (random) MAC address on a network, you can apply the same settings and assignments for both MAC addresses that may be used for the device. Managing devices belonging to your business is particularly easy. The biggest limitation is that there can only be one primary device assigned to an employee.
• Turn on the Limited network access for new devices feature in both the Secure zone and Employee zone. This blocks local network access for all devices with an unrecognized MAC that connect to either the Secure zone or Employee zone until approved by you. When asked for approval by your employee, assign the new device MAC to the employee's profile or ask them to use the device MAC address to connect to the network. This feature should always be enabled anyways in case your Wi-Fi passwords are compromised.
• Have Content Access and Shield rules set up at the network level to ensure the security of all devices connecting to your network. These rules are set using the Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app only when operating in Router mode. When operating in Bridge mode, these will set on the router, but an unrecognized MAC address will be the same. IP assignments and port forwarding rules will have to be done again if the device's MAC changes. Other features on your router like MAC filtering will also have issues with unrecognized MAC addresses.

Devices using a private (random) Wi-Fi address will connect to your network. To get the best experience and guarantee device-level security and controls, we recommend turning off private Wi-Fi addresses for your home network. Turning off this setting is only for your network and does not impact the use of a private Wi-Fi address on other networks. 

Wi-Fi Devices

1. Make sure Wi-Fi on your device is on and that you can see your Wi-Fi network name on your device. If you can't find your Wi-Fi network name, open your Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app and verify your Wi-Fi network name. 
2. Make sure you enter the correct Wi-Fi password if prompted. 
3. Check that your gateway pod is connected to the modem and functioning. Make sure your pods are online. 
4. Turn the Wi-Fi on your device off and then back on. This will force the device to scan for available networks. 
5. Restart your device. Some always-on devices, such as thermostats and doorbells, may not connect to the new network without a reboot. 
6. Check with your device manufacturer for any special requirements. For example, some devices will not connect to a network if the SSID and/or password have special characters. 
7. Reset network settings or forget the old network on your device. If your old Wi-Fi is still broadcasting, your device may be switching between networks. 
8. Check whether other devices can connect to the Wi-Fi network. If not, contact Midco support or log in to My Account to see if there are any internet outages. 
9. Always make sure that the Wi-Fi on your old router has been turned off. Your device may have difficulty connecting to your Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro network if the old network is still broadcasting. Turning off the old Wi-Fi will also remove a potential source of interference from the environment. 

Ethernet-Connected Devices

1. If your wired device is not connecting to the network, try power cycling the pod while the device is still connected by Ethernet. 
2. Try another Ethernet cable. Ethernet cables can fail, causing poor or unstable connections. 

Settings

1. Check your router settings. MAC filtering prevents new devices from connecting to your network. 
2. Check the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) settings on your router, particularly for limitations. You may not have enough available IP addresses for all your devices and pods. 

All network lists on your devices are ordered alphabetically. If you cannot find your network, please check your Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app and verify your Wi-Fi network name. 

Still having issues? Try adding your SSID manually through Wi-Fi settings on the device. 

The system currently does not support hiding its SSID. If you still cannot find the network from your device, contact Midco support for further assistance.  

All devices are not connecting.

1. Use the app to check that your new Secure zone SSID (network name) matches your previous SSID.
2. Check that the password also matches what was previously used. 
3. Check that the old Wi-Fi on your router or modem-router combination is disabled. If not, follow our instructions for disconnecting your old Wi-Fi. 
4. If you did not use the same SSID and password of your previous network: 
   • Ensure your device settings match what has been set up in the Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app. 
   • Double check your old Wi-Fi is disabled. 
   • Check every device has forgotten the old network – or you can instead double check your old Wi-Fi is disabled. 

A group of devices is not connecting.

There are some common reasons that a group of devices may not connect after setup: 

1. You previously had separate 2.4 and 5 GHz networks (SSIDs) on your old wireless router.
   • Since you previously had two separate SSIDs, you'll have to check that all your devices have the updated Wi-Fi credentials. If you reused the credentials of one of these SSIDs, devices using the other will need to be updated with new credentials. This is because Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro utilizes a single SSID for both bands in each zone. 
   • Likewise, you will need to disable both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios; otherwise, devices will not disconnect from the old network. 
2. Certain 2.4 GHz-only IoT devices are not connecting to the new Wi-Fi even though the SSID and password match the previous router.
   • There are some smart home devices that use a control app running on mobile for setup, that have an issue connecting to Wi-Fi networks that use a single SSID for both bands (like Wi-Fi Pro). 
   • These 2.4 GHz-only devices use the BSSID to connect instead of the SSID. Because of this, even if you set up Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro’s SSID and password to match the old 2.4 GHz network's password, these devices will not be able to immediately connect.  
3. If you are still using your old router, check the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) settings.  
   • If there is a limit set on the IP address pool, it will need to increase to accommodate the IPs required for your new pods. 

Individual devices are identified based on the unique MAC address of their network hardware, which normally never changes. However, there are a few possible reasons this MAC address can change. 

A Different Connection Type

Laptops, desktops and other devices that have more than one connection type available actually have multiple hardware MAC addresses. Connecting your laptop by Ethernet and later by Wi-Fi will result in two different MAC addresses being seen by the network.  

Replacing the network interface card (NIC) will also change the hardware MAC address. 

A Private (Random) MAC Address

Android, iOS, Windows 10 and other devices can use a random MAC address (private Wi-Fi) instead of the hardware MAC on the device. Every time the MAC address randomizes and connects to your network, a different device is recognized. Depending on how often the MAC address randomizes, several duplicates of the same device can end up in your devices list.

If the duplicate device is the result of a different connection type, then you should keep the device in your list and assign it to the same person. This ensures that all Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro features that rely on the MAC address continue to function as intended regardless of how the device connects to the network. 

If the duplicate is the result of a random MAC address, the old instance(s) can be safely removed since it is unlikely the exact same MAC address will be used again. It is recommended that you disable the random MAC address feature (private Wi-Fi) on the device to ensure the best experience and proper enforcement of Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro features.  

Devices that are not assigned to a person will automatically disappear from the device list 14 days after their last connection. To manually remove a device from the list that is not assigned and not connected, simply swipe left on the device in the device list. 

Devices using a private Wi-Fi address will connect to your Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro network. To get the best experience and guarantee device-level security and controls, we recommend you turn off private Wi-Fi addresses and revert to your original address when connecting to your work network. 

Android 10 and Later

1. Connect to your Wi-Fi Pro network.  
2. Navigate to Settings or the Settings app on your device. 
3. Tap Network & Internet/Connections and then Wi-Fi.  
4. Tap the Gear icon associated with your network. 
5. Tap Advanced and then Privacy. 
6. Tap Use Device MAC. 

Samsung Galaxy Android 10 and Later

1. Connect to your Wi-Fi Pro network.  
2. Navigate to Settings or the Settings app on your Samsung Galaxy device. 
3. Tap Connections and then Wi-Fi. 
4. Tap the Gear icon next to the appropriate network. 
5. Tap MAC address type. 
6. Choose Phone MAC from the dropdown options.             

iPad iOS14 and Later

1. Connect to your Wi-Fi Pro network. 
2. Open the Settings app on your iPad. Then tap on Wi-Fi. 
3. Tap on the Information button next to your network name. 
4. Slide the Private Address toggle to turn it off. A message will pop up to rejoin the network. 
   • The iPad will briefly disconnect and then reconnect using the original Wi-Fi address. 

Windows 10

1. Connect to your Wi-Fi Pro network. 
2. In your computer taskbar, right click on the Wi-Fi icon and then Properties. 
3. Under the Random Hardware Addresses section, change the setting to Off. 
4. Turn off the Wi-Fi on your device and turn it back on to reconnect to your Wi-Fi Pro network using the original Wi-Fi MAC address. 

Apple Watch watchOS 7 and Later

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple watch, then tap on Wi-Fi. 
2. Tap on your Wi-Fi Pro network. 
3. Tap the Private Address toggle to turn it off. 
4. To switch to the original Wi-Fi address, turn off Wi-Fi on the device and turn it back on. 

Once connected to your network using the original Wi-Fi address, any of the previously personalized device- or employee-level features, such as Online Protection, Content Access controls and Employee Timecards, will be restored.  

Note: These settings will only be saved for your Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro network. Your device will continue to protect your privacy by using a private (random) Wi-Fi address when connecting to other networks.