Managing Connected Devices

How Bastet Home identifies devices

Bastet Home tracks every device by its hardware MAC address - a unique identifier burned into each network adapter. Unlike IP addresses, MAC addresses cannot be changed through normal settings. This makes profile assignments reliable even when children connect from a new IP address or switch between Wi-Fi and a wired connection.

Viewing connected devices

Go to Devices in the management interface. You will see:

• Device name - hostname reported by the device, or the MAC address if no hostname is available
• Profile - which profile is currently applied
• Last seen - when the device last made a network request
• Status - active, idle, or blocked

Assigning a device to a profile

1. Click the device name.
2. Select a profile from the dropdown.
3. Click Save. The change takes effect immediately.

Devices with no profile assigned are blocked from all internet access.

Renaming a device

Hostnames reported by devices can be unclear. To rename a device:

1. Click the device name.
2. Click the pencil icon next to the name.
3. Enter a descriptive name (e.g. “Rosie’s iPad”).
4. Click Save.

Your custom name is stored on the Bastet Home device and is not shared anywhere.

Dealing with new or unknown devices

When a device connects to your network for the first time, it appears in the Unassigned list. Bastet Home blocks it from internet access until you assign it to a profile.

You will see a notification in the management interface when new devices appear.

What about devices that randomise their MAC address?

Modern phones can use a randomised MAC address per network. Bastet Home detects when this happens and flags the device. You can lock the device to its real MAC by disabling MAC randomisation in the device’s Wi-Fi settings for your home network.

On iPhone: Settings > Wi-Fi > [your network] > Private Wi-Fi Address > Off. On Android: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > [your network] > Privacy > Use device MAC.