ANSWERED: How to Personalize and Control Your Home Network with Xfinity xFi?

This article provides details on the device personalization and control features available with the Xfinity app.

For more information, see our Xfinity app overview article. For troubleshooting tips, see troubleshooting WiFi connectivity. For information on people settings, see managing people in xFi.

WiFi tab

On the WiFi tab, under Connected to your WiFi, you can view all devices that are currently connected to your home network and their status (active, paused, etc.). From the bottom of WiFi, you can also view the Devices Not Connected to see the list of devices that have previously connected to your home network.

Identify devices

When a device first connects to your home network, you'll see the default name of the device, which is either the manufacturer-set name (i.e., hostname or MAC address) or the name you gave your device when you first set it up. Devices connected to the public Xfinity WiFi hotspot, xfinitywifi, won't appear in your Devices list; hotspots are separate from your personal home network.

If you don't recognize a device:

1. Go to the Connected to your WiFi section on the WiFi tab. 
2. Select the device from the list, then select Device Details to see the manufacturer.
3. If the device is connected to your home network, there should be a green dot indicating that it's online, which may also help with identifying what device it is.
4. Access the hostname or MAC address in your device's settings.
5. If the default name displayed is a long string of numbers and letters, it's likely the MAC address.
   
   

For more information on recognizing devices or accessing the hostname or MAC address from your device settings, see our xFi Frequently Asked Questions.

Personalize and organize devices

You can personalize device names for easier reference. To do this:

1. Select a device from the WiFi tab in the Connected to your WiFi section or from the Devices Not Connected section.
2. Select Device Details.
3.  Tap Edit to rename the device or device type.
4. Once you’re done making changes, tap Save.
   
   

Device indicators

• Green dot: The device is currently connected to your home network.
• Gray pause symbol: The device is currently paused and cannot access your home network.
• Purple pause symbol: The device is currently in a scheduled pause and cannot access your home network.
• Grayed-out device: The device is not currently connected to your home network.
  
  

Remove devices from xFi

To remove any device from the Devices Not Connected list:

1. Tapping on the device.
2. Tap Device Details.
3. Select Forget Device.

This will remove the device from your devices list and unassign it from the person it was associated with, if applicable. It'll also permanently delete all historical network activity of this device. If the device reconnects to your home network, it will appear as a new device.

Pause and unpause devices

Pausing a device blocks it from accessing the internet when connected to your home network. In-progress activity might not stop immediately. Access to local network devices (like printers) and connections that use cellular data or other WiFi networks won't be paused.

To pause a device:

1. Select the device from WiFi.
2. Select Pause Device.
   • You can pause the device(s) for a specific amount of time (for example, 30 minutes, one hour or two hours) or indefinitely until you choose to unpause.
     
     

Notes:

• The pause function only pauses WiFi access on your home network and doesn't impact access to cellular data, a public Xfinity WiFi hotspot or other available WiFi networks.
• When attempting to access the internet on a paused device, you'll see the device's default message that the site cannot be reached or that it isn't connected to the internet.
  
  

To unpause a device:

1. Select the device from Connect.
2. Select Unpause Device.
   
   

People

On the WiFi tab, under the Connected to your WiFi section, you can organize all your connected devices by the people who use them. Once you create a person, you'll be able to access additional features to manage your home network. You can also view details related to a person’s online status, daily online time and an active time limit tracker (if configured).

For your convenience, in addition to the custom person groups you can create, we've included two default groups:

• Household: This is intended for smart home devices used by all family members (e.g., Smart TV, thermostat, security system and door locks).
• Guest: This is intended for visitors' devices that you'd like to keep track of.
  
  

You'll only see these in the Connected to your WiFi section on the WiFi tab if a device is assigned to them.

Learn more about managing people and how to access settings like Active Time Limits, Downtime, and Parental Controls.

​Additional Resources​

​https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/personalize-customize-hnetwork-xfi​

​https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/xfinity-xfi-faqs​