The Devices page in the gateway portal lists every client seen on a site's network, wired or wireless, online or offline. This article covers what each column means, what the action buttons do, and how to use the per-device three-dot menu.

Quick Reference

• Search bar - filters the list by device name, IP, or keyword (iPhone, Android, etc.)
• Download - exports the current device list to CSV
• Map MAC to IP - shows the full MAC-to-IP binding table for the site
• MAC Filter - opens the site's MAC address filter / allow-deny configuration
• Ping etc. - site-wide network diagnostic tools (ping, traceroute, DNS lookup)
• Refresh (top-right arrow icon) - reloads the device list with current data
• Reserve IP (column checkbox) - creates a DHCP reservation pinning the device to its current IP
• Alert if offline (column checkbox) - sends an email alert when the device goes offline
• Three-dot menu (per row) - Change Description, Change DNS Name, Change DHCP IP, Ping

Column Reference

Name

The device's display name. Pulled in priority order:

1. Administrator-set description (via Change Description)
2. DNS name (via Change DNS Name or reverse DNS)
3. Hostname broadcast by the client (DHCP option 12)
4. <no name> if none of the above are available

When the name is <no name>, the portal shows the Manufacturer below it, resolved from the OUI (first three octets of the MAC). This is often enough to identify the device type (Tuya Smart Inc. = IoT device, Brother Industries, LTD. = printer, Apple, Inc. = iPhone or Mac, etc.).

Status

• Online (green) - device is currently connected and reachable on the LAN
• Offline (gray) - device is not currently connected

For wired devices, "offline" may show additional detail like Port PoE, Link down, which means the switch port is up but no link is detected on the cable.

Group

The policy group the device belongs to (Employees, Guest, IoT, custom groups, etc.). Group membership drives firewall rules, VLAN assignment, and content filtering. Group is assigned automatically based on SSID, switch port, or manual override.

MAC

The device's hardware MAC address.

[!NOTE] Modern phones and laptops use MAC randomization by default. The same physical device may appear under different MACs across sessions. If a client device is showing up as <no name> repeatedly with different MACs, randomization is likely the cause. Disabling MAC randomization for the customer's SSID on the client device fixes this.

IP

The current IP address. Shows (non-DHCP) in small text below the IP when the device is using a statically assigned IP rather than one from the gateway's DHCP pool.

[!WARNING] Static IPs inside the DHCP range cause intermittent conflicts. If a device shows (non-DHCP) and the IP is inside the DHCP pool, either move the static assignment outside the pool or convert it to a DHCP reservation using Reserve IP.

Connection

Describes how the device is connected:

• Wireless: SSID: <ssid> / AP: <ap-hostname>, <band> / (RSSI <value>)
• Wired: Port: Switch Port <N> or Port: Switch connection port: <switch-hostname> (#<port>)

RSSI is signal strength in dBm. Rough interpretation:

• -30 to -50 dBm - excellent signal
• -50 to -60 dBm - good signal
• -60 to -70 dBm - fair, may impact throughput
• -70 to -80 dBm - poor, likely symptoms
• Below -80 dBm - very poor, expect drops and retransmits

For wifi complaints, check RSSI first. Anything worse than -70 is a physical problem (range, obstruction, AP placement), not a configuration problem.

Time

For online devices: Connected at timestamp (when the current session started). For offline devices: Last seen at timestamp.

Last-seen time is often the fastest way to triage "is this device broken or is this a network problem" tickets. If last-seen is recent and matches the reported issue time, it's likely a device or application problem, not the network.

Reserve IP

Checking this box creates a DHCP reservation, pinning the device's current MAC-to-IP mapping. Use for:

• Printers and MFPs
• Servers
• Workstations referenced by IP in firewall rules or port-forwarding
• Any device that needs to be reachable at a consistent address

Uncheck to release the reservation and return the IP to the general DHCP pool.

Alert if offline

Checking this box enables email notifications when the device transitions from online to offline. Use sparingly:

• Appropriate for: servers, critical infrastructure, POS systems, security cameras
• Not appropriate for: laptops, phones, tablets, guest devices, anything that goes offline as part of normal use

Enabling this on transient devices will generate alert noise and train staff to ignore notifications.

Per-Device Three-Dot Menu

Each device row has a three-dot action menu on the right. Options:

Change Description

Sets the administrator-facing display name for the device. This is a portal-only label; it does not change DNS or affect how the device identifies itself on the network. Use this for human-readable names like John's Laptop or Front Desk Printer.

Change DNS Name

Sets the device's name in the gateway's local DNS. Other devices on the network can then reach it by that name (e.g., printer.local, if the site's DNS suffix is configured). Use for devices that need to be referenced by name, like shared printers, NAS, and internal servers.

[!NOTE] Change Description is just a label in the portal UI. Change DNS Name actually propagates to the gateway's DNS resolver. Use the right one for the job.

Change DHCP IP

Changes the IP the gateway will hand to this device on its next DHCP lease. Effectively creates a reservation at a specific IP you choose, rather than pinning the current IP.

Use Change DHCP IP when you want to move a device to a specific address. Use Reserve IP when the current address is already correct and you just want to lock it in.

Ping

Sends an ICMP ping from the gateway to the device and shows the result. Fast way to verify LAN reachability without leaving the portal.

Close

Closes the menu.

Common Workflows

Identifying an unknown device

1. Note the Manufacturer shown below <no name>
2. Check the Connection field - which AP or switch port is it on?
3. For wired devices, physically trace the switch port to the device
4. For wireless devices, check if RSSI changes when a suspected device is moved
5. Once identified, use Change Description to set a human-readable name

Triaging a "my wifi is broken" ticket

1. Search for the affected device by name or IP
2. Check Status - is it currently online?
3. Check Time - when was it last seen?
4. Check Connection - which AP is it on, and what's the RSSI?
5. If RSSI is worse than -70, the problem is physical (range, obstruction, AP placement)
6. If RSSI is fine but the device is dropping, escalate to wireless troubleshooting

Setting up a new printer or server

1. Power on the device and let it get an initial DHCP lease
2. Find it in the device list (search by manufacturer if <no name>)
3. Use Change Description to set a friendly name
4. Use Change DNS Name if the device will be accessed by name
5. Check Reserve IP to pin the current IP, or use Change DHCP IP to assign a specific address
6. If critical, check Alert if offline

Spotting static IP conflicts

1. Look for devices with (non-DHCP) under their IP
2. Check whether the IP falls inside the site's DHCP pool range
3. If yes, either move the static assignment outside the pool on the device, or convert to a DHCP reservation via Reserve IP

Tags

devices-page, gateway-portal, dhcp, mac-address, wifi, rssi, switch-ports, dns, reservations, troubleshooting

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Title: Understanding the Devices Page in the Uplevel Gateway Portal

Meta keywords: uplevel devices page, gateway portal, DHCP reservation, reserve IP, alert if offline, RSSI, wifi troubleshooting, non-DHCP, device naming, change DNS name

Meta description: Reference guide to the Devices page in the Uplevel gateway portal. Covers device status, connection details, DHCP reservations, offline alerts, the three-dot action menu, and common troubleshooting workflows.

Related Resources

• Mapping MAC Addresses to IPs
• MAC Address Filtering
• Dual WAN Load Balancing
• Troubleshooting Wifi Complaints