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Tuesday, November 28th, 2023 7:25 PM

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hidden network

I have several devices on my xfinity network.  However, the only area I can fid this "hidden network" is in my bedroom and the only device that connects to the "hidden network" is my ipad.  I can have my iphone and Macbook pro ide by side and again only the ipad connects to the hidden network.  why is this and where did this hidden network come from?

Official Employee

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3.2K Messages

1 year ago

Thank you for reaching out @user_uk2zqo Did you set up the hidden network? The link: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/hide-disable-in-home-wifi helps with the settings where you can hide the in-home WiFi network. 

2 Messages

@XfinityDena​ no I did not set up the hidden network

Official Employee

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790 Messages

u/user_uk2zqo If all devices act normally, and the issue is only present on one device, it points to that device having the concern. What happens if you turn off your Xfinity modem, does that network still show up, and allow the iPad to connect to a webpage? It may be the public hotspot it's connecting to, instead of your home network. 

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Expert

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110K Messages

1 year ago

@user_uk2zqo 

FWIW. The hidden network(s) is/are a separate/additional WiFi radio network that is/are broadcasted by the Xfinity rented gateway devices. It/they are meant for interfacing with the Xfinity Home Security Systems only. You shouldn't be using them for your regular WiFi service. AAMOF, I don't know how or why the ipad is even able to connect to it. Perhaps it is some other neighbor's hidden broadcast that the ipad is seeing in that room only.

Problem Solver

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1.5K Messages

1 year ago

You can poke at it a bit.  It's interesting.

If you goto whatismyipaddress.com on both the ipad and the phone/macbook, do you get the same IP address shown there?   

Ever connect the ipad to Xfinity's public hotspots when out and about?  It might prioritize one of those if it was the last thing you connected to. 

Should the ipad have a different IP address, even if it connected to the public hotspot on YOUR gateway?  It should, if hotspot traffic IS actually isolated from your network.  The mac should be one or two digits off on the public hotspot, than your cable connection. Sort of like Ethernet port sharing on server main boards with CMC/BMC/IPMI controllers.  It will be different if the ipad connects to someone else's public hotspot too.

The "hidden" part?  Odd, but that would happen if disabling the public hotspot feature really just masked the SSID and the radio was still fully active.  You could still connect to it.  It would be interesting to know.  Otherwise, your ipad would either say you are connected to "xfinitywifi" (unencrypted), or "XFINITY" (encrypted).

I don't know what the auth mechanism for the security system radio would be either.       

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