Why Am I Seeing QCA4002 On My Network?

With so many applications for wireless networks nowadays, it can get hard to figure out which devices are connected to your wi-fi. From smart watches, TV set-top boxes, consoles, mobiles, and even home appliances, the internet is a major presence in nearly everything we do.

With the advent of the Internet of Things, or IoT, fridges, ACs, and other home appliances can perform more advanced tasks through internet connections. However, now your home wi-fi has a whole bunch of new names in the list of connected devices.

Upon checking the list of connected devices, things like TVs, consoles, and mobiles usually have familiar, or at least identifiable names. IoT devices, not so much.

As it goes, some of the names under these connections are not so relatable with the brand or model of the appliance, which makes it that bit harder to link the name with the device.

For instance, could you say what the name QCA4002 stands for when it shows up on your list of connected devices?

If you cannot, you are probably amongst 99.99% of internet users out there. As the name does not ring any bells when we consider the brands or models of our IoT devices, we end up asking what is that thing connected to my wi-fi? And is it a threat?

Why Am I Seeing QCA4002 On My Network?

What Does The Name QCA4002 Stand For?

QCA4002 is actually an IoT intelligent wi-fi platform that enables users to add full-featured wireless networks to various devices, such as home appliances.

This low-cost platform brings devices a whole new series of features, which largely enhances the users’ experience. It is developed by Qualcomm, a chipset manufacturer that also develops mobile network technologies.

Being a small and extremely affordable device, this wi-fi enabler can be used with pretty much every appliance you have in your house without bumping up the price.

This is the main reason why the QCA4002 is so commonly found in home appliances. With also a power-saving wi-fi feature and an onboard wake-up manager, the platform delivers excellent connectivity levels.

Regarding speeds, the QCA4002 stands almost alone when compared to the main competitors, reaching speeds up to 150Mbps, which is remarkable for its size.

Considering all the uses of the QCA4002, it is easy to see why this platform is so largely used in Internet of Things devices.

What may not be so easy is to figure out which device amongst your home appliances is connected under that name. If you are having a tough time figuring that out, check the suggestions below and we’ll do a little detective work.

Search The Device’s MAC Address

The MAC, or Media Access Control Address, is a kind of ID for the connection and it manages the connection between a device and the network to which it is connected.

It is a unique sequence that is mostly assigned by the manufacturer, giving the feature its ID-like aspect. And that same unique aspect is what allows users to pinpoint the exact device that is connected under each specific MAC Address.

The easiest way to figure out which device is connected under a certain MAC Address is to search the sequence on the internet.

Even though the search result might bear a number of possible devices, it is already a beginning as a variety of other devices you have can be ruled out.

After narrowing down the possibilities, you can simply check the MAC Addresses of the connected appliances and get to the one you have been looking for.

What seems to be the main point regarding the identification of the device that is connected under the name QCA4002 is the fact that you can verify if the device should be connected to your network or not.

As it goes, users have mentioned that their neighbors have been freeloading from their wi-fi networks to connect their home appliances. Due to the particular name of the QCA4002, many users don’t even take the time to check. They simply assume that it is from one of the many IoT devices they own.

So, make sure to go through the MAC Address check to see if your neighbors are not doing the same thing. In case you identify a freeloading appliance, simply find the name in the list of connected devices, right-click it, and select ‘block MAC Address’.

This should not only break the connection but also prevent that device from ever connecting to your wi-fi again.

You Can Also

There are also other ways to identify the device that is connected under the name QCA4002, or for that matter, any other name you simply cannot link to the appliances you have in your house.

The second way is to make a list of the devices you have connected to your wi-fi network and check the ones that seem to have a not-so-common or not so easy to identify name. Begin by ruling out the ones that have more obvious names and focus on the ones that do not.

After applying that filter, you can either switch off the rest of the devices one by one and check which one causes each different name to disappear from the list of connected devices. Alternatively, you can simply block the MAC Address and check which device loses connection with your wi-fi network.

Some devices may be configured to work in a quite personalized way, which means a MAC Address block may cause the device to return to factory settings.

This may already be a reason why users should be more careful when attempting to identify the appliance connected under the name QCA4002 or any other different one.

So, should you need to exercise that much care, access the router settings by typing the IP address on the search bar of your browser and then entering your login credentials.

Factory parameters for login and password are usually ‘admin’ for both, but you can always check the sticker on the back of the router to verify. Once you get to the general settings, locate the network tab and then the list of MAC Addresses.

From there, you can rule out devices by matching their MAC Addresses with the ones on the list.

Contact Your Provider

The last thing you can do is to contact your Internet Service Provider, or ISP, and ask for help. Even though this is not really an internet-related situation, providers have professional technicians on their support teams that are used to seeing all sorts of problems.

This means they might have already heard about QCA4002 and may even be able to pinpoint the device that is connected under that name.

So, if the suggestions above do not bear the expected fruits or seem like too much work to go through, let professionals handle the situation on your behalf.

Lastly, if you find out about other easy ways to identify the appliance that is connected under the name QCA4002, or any other different or hard-to-identify name on the list of connected devices, tell us all about it.

Write to us through the message box below and share that piece of knowledge that may save users not only a few headaches, but also some money. Let’s join the fight against freeloaders and keep our internet connections to ourselves.

Also, with every piece of feedback, our community grows stronger and more united. So, don’t be shy, and let us know all about what you found out!