If you live in an apartment building with shared walls, a strong password prevents most theft, but a determined hacker with a cracked password can still get in. A MAC address filter on the TP-Link Deco M4 stops them cold—even if they have the Wi-Fi password, their unrecognized MAC address will be rejected.
The Deco M4 supports a Guest Network. Here is a professional tip: Do not apply the Whitelist to the Guest Network. mac address filter on tplink deco m4
This is the more common approach. The network is open to anyone with the password—except for the specific troublemakers you add to a list. If you live in an apartment building with
Best for: Parenting. You want your kids to have Wi-Fi, just not their specific iPad after 9 PM. It’s also perfect for dealing with a neighbor who guessed your Wi-Fi password. The Deco M4 uses the MAC address to
The catch: A tech-savvy user can spoof (fake) a MAC address. If someone really wants to bypass a blacklist, they can. The blacklist is best for convenience, not high-stakes security.
If you want to filter by MAC address but only during certain hours (e.g., block the kids’ iPads at bedtime), use Parental Controls.
The Deco M4 uses the MAC address to enforce this schedule, effectively acting as a time-based MAC filter.