Home Hub 2000 - mobile phone connection problem using MAC filtering

[Nitpick]

I purchased a smart electrical outlet.  To use it I need to control it from my Samsung Galaxy A10e smartphone on my WiFi network.

My Bell internet modem/router is a Home Hub 2000, on which I have configured my network as a hidden network (i.e. not broadcasting the network ID) and using MAC filtering.  I have entered my phone's MAC address as an allowed device.

My phone will not connect to the network.  If I turn MAC filtering off, it connects without problems.  WHY will it not connect with MAC filtering on?  My phone is up to date with firmware patches.  Are there firmware patches I should have for the HOME HUB?

[BellPatricia]

Hi @Nitpick,
Welcome to the Bell Community, and thanks for reaching out.
Perhaps another Community member has experienced something similar.
Can you share what type of smart electrical outlet are you using?
Also, are you getting a specific error message?
- Patricia 

[Nitpick]

The outlet is a Defiant brand (from Home Depot), but that has NOTHING to do with the problem was was asking about except that it gave me an impetus to follow up on an existing problem.  The outlet connects to my WiFi network without any problem, and my smartphone can control the switch by Bluetooth even though the phone is not on the network,

My question is why will the phone not connect with MAC filtering on? 

[Nitpick]

And there is no error message.  It just acts as if the device was not in the list of authorized MAC's.

[Dekker · Accepted solution]

Probably too late, but offering anyway.

Depending on your phone's  OS version, you may have your WIFI "Privacy" set to the default "randomized MAC".

In Android, go to your WiFi settings page, get to the settings for YOUR WiFi connection, look for Privacy, and change it to "Use device MAC" instead of default of "Use randomized MAC". Essentially, every time your phone connects to the WiFi, it gives a new MAC, so your filtering can't ever identify it properly! iPhone has something similar, but can't for the life of me remember the sequence to get there. It is pretty much the same issue though.

Of course, only do this on your own HOME wifi networks, as it is how you get a bit of privacy in "public" wifi world...