What is the new Ban Client feature?

Michael234 · October 18, 2020, 9:47am

In the client list, there is a new (introduced in firmware 8.1?) gray button on the far right side that says “Ban Client” when the mouse hovers over it. What does this do? Its not in the Balance User Manual.

TK_Liew · October 18, 2020, 10:59pm

Yes, it is a new feature in 8.1.0. It uses to disconnect the Wi-Fi and Remote User Access clients manually. Please refer to the release note - https://download.peplink.com/resources/firmware-8.1.0-release-notes.pdf, reference 22516.

We will take a look to the user manual.

Thanks.

Michael234 · October 19, 2020, 9:07am

Big question: disconnect for how long? Can the device get back online immediately after having been disconnected? Normally I would test myself, but not in this case.

TK_Liew · October 19, 2020, 9:30pm

There is a blocklist in the same page after you banned the WIFI or Remote User Access clients.

You may unblock the client when it is needed.

stego · October 20, 2020, 9:04am

Useful feature, but wondering now with the advent of randomized mac addresses in iOS (and for some time in Android, although not enabled by default) wondering if this feature will be obsolete.

I tested this with my iphone with Private mac disabled. I banned my iphone, and noticed it almost immediately lost wifi connectivity.

I enabled private mac address, and quickly reconnected under a new “private mac address”.

I guess one could also ban the randomized mac address as well…assuming of course the client can’t regenerate a new one. But from what I read, iOS only generates a new mac address per SSID…

Strangely enough, my B20x handed me the same IP… not sure what determination is made for that and whether my iPhone in this case is holding on to the DHCP info, even though I reconnect using a new mac address.

So possible to eventually fully block devices assuming one can track down its randomized mac addresses.

Michael234 · October 20, 2020, 9:15am

I will try to test this too, but with a reboot of the iOS device in between, just for good luck.

Thanks @TK_Liew for the explanation.

Michael234 · October 30, 2020, 1:10pm

It seems like a beta feature. Could use improvement in the UI.

As for iOS 14, yes, every device now has two MAC addresses which makes blocking harder, not just for Peplink but for any consumer router offering Parental Controls. Ditto for Android devices and maybe Windows 10 too.