WIFI Router Logs

[jb1105]

I have been trying to monitor the time of day a device logs on and off the internet on my home WIFI router, model  G3100 with firmware 3.2.0.15, if that information is needed.

I don't need to know the specific sites, just the time of day a device is using the internet.  I thought it would be in the system log but i realized my device had activity time stamps when I was not on the web.  There are some timestamps in the early morning when I know nobody is using the internet so I am not sure how to interpret the logs.

The logs available to me are system, advanced, security, firewall, WAN DHCP and LAN DHCP.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Cang_Household]

The wireless clients association and de-association events are logged in Advanced or System logs, I believe.

The only problem is that modern wireless devices would randomize its MAC address over time, making tracking them almost impossible.

There is a slightly labor-intensive way of permitting only certain wireless clients to connect to the router's wireless access point. I need to write a Knowledge Base Article for this.

[jb1105]

It's funny, I would think that would be the single easiest thing to see on a router log.

[jb1105]

For instance, I thought this log entry would mean a device logged on the internet  at 01:37 in the morning.  But Im sure that device was not bein used. 

Do phones get updates throughout the day and show activity  that is not being performed by the user?

2024 Aug [phone number removed per the Verizon Terms of Service] arc_wlsta_monitor info

[WIFI.6][SYS]BSS=wl2 ACTION=associate, BSSID=b8:f8:xx:xx:xx:xx, PHY RATE=867 Mbps, TXOP=95, STA=56:a8:xx:xx:xx, RSSI=-85, RATE=1134 Mbps

[Cang_Household]

Please cover all the MAC addresses. I am still seeing a lot of 00:00:00:00:00:00.

An association with the access point does not imply the device is actively surfing the Internet. An association with the access point is required before the device can access the Internet, but the converse is not always true.

As a device moves around the house, it may subject to association and re-association due to signal instability.

[jb1105]

So, your not aware of any way to find this information?

[Cang_Household]

The only way I could think of to track a device's Internet usage history is by fixating  both the MAC address and the IP address.

As you may know, network communication requires both a MAC address and an IP address. The MAC address is scrambled by modern devices. I am aware that this scrambling can be turned off on iPhones. Once turned off, you could enforce MAC address filtering on the Wireless networks. Only devices bearing particular MAC addresses could associate with the Basic Service Set. 

Then to fixate the IP address, you need to configure DHCP address reservation. Statically define a LAN IP to be assigned to device with a particular MAC. Once both the MAC and IP are fixated, enable aggressive Firewall logging. Then look for the device's IP or MAC.