Internet of Things, aka IOT, thinks of it as a network of devices that is used to exchange data with other devices or cloud platforms. IoT devices include things from household items to complex tools used in industries.
According to Statista, the number of these devices is expected to be around 20.1 billion in 2025. This number is huge, and you know what, many of the time, some non-essential devices get connected to a network that many people ignore.
Ignoring such non-essential devices on a network can put your data at risk. So, it’s better to spot them and remove them from your network. But the question is, how can you spot non-essential IoT devices connected to a network? Read on to find out.
Why mitigate non-essential IoT devices connected to your network?
Before we delve into the “How,” let’s talk a bit about why you need to spot and mitigate them. This will help you understand the importance of the topic better. Below listed are some of the common reasons behind it.
- Removing such devices from your network is a vital part of device lifecycle management, reducing the burden and allowing you to improve speed and efficiency.
- Some old IoT devices are prone to malware attacks. Mitigating them on time can protect your data from being breached.
- Disconnecting IoT devices from your network also lets you limit their resource usage. This increases the performance and battery life of your device.
Examples of non-essential IoT devices
Non-essential, Non-essential, Non-essential…
You might be wondering what devices are actually non-essential. Well, these are the devices that:
- Performs unnecessary data transfers.
- Connects you to other non-essential devices.
- Making extra use of resources.
- Have outdated software that is prone to security breaches.
- Do not have secure protocols.
Ways you can spot non-essential devices in your network
Now comes the thing, “how to spot these non-essential devices” that might hurt your network or other devices connected to it. There are various ways you can do that, and a few among them are discussed below.
- Perform network scan
Performing a network scan lets you identify all the devices (including non-essential IoT) connected to your network. You can perform a network scan using the Nmap tool or any other monitoring software that has the functionality.
Regarding Nmap, follow the steps shared below for spotting devices.
- Install Nmap on your device and navigate to the command prompt or terminal.
- In the command terminal, run the command we have shared in the box below. It is meant to perform a network scan.
| nmap -sP <your_network_ip_address>/24 |
Let’s suppose your IP address is “192.168.0.0”. For this, you have to run the command like:
| nmap -sP 192.168.0.0/24 |
Running this command will identify all the devices connected to the “192.168.0.0” network. Using Nmap, you can also get information about what devices are connected based on open ports and services running.
- Review DHCP server logs
Reviewing DHCP server logs is another way to spot devices connected to a network. But for this, you must have access to logs with newly assigned IP addresses.
Using DHCP, IoT devices get IP addresses in a dynamic manner. Once you review these DHCP logs, you can easily see the devices that do not conform to your primary IP address allocation pattern.
Note: Yet, DHCP server logs help identify the devices connected to your network. But accessing these files itself is technical. The process varies depending on the operating system you are using, e.g., Windows, Linux, or Mac.
Various online tutorials are available that guide you in accessing DHCP server logs with ease. Consider watching a tutorial before you enter the review process.
- Spot the manufacturer
Spotting the manufacturer is also a good way to spot non-essential IoT devices connected to a network. Every IoT device has a particular MAC address, and you can get it using the tools that look up MAC addresses, i.e., MAC Address Lookup by DNSChecker and macaddresslookup.io. It will help you find the necessary information related to the manufacturer, including:
- Vendor/company name
- Company address
- Address prefix, etc.
Now, you might be wondering how this helps spot non-essential devices. To clear up any confusion, here’s a little explanation.
As mentioned earlier in “Why”, IoT devices are often prone to security risks. Companies manufacturing such devices are often restricted or black listed by international bodies.
When you have the manufacturer details, you can easily identify whether the device should remain connected to your network or not. This is especially crucial for networks that relate to finance, security, or the military.
- Segment your network
Segmenting your network into subnets or VLANS makes scanning and auditing easier.
When you have all the IoT devices in a particular segment, the addition of a new or suspicious device will notify you (in case you have turned the alerts on).
Once spotted, you can easily block and remove them from your network.
Final Talk
By spotting the non-essential IoT devices, you can both protect your data and improve the overall performance of your network. There are many ways you can opt to spot these devices, including the four we have discussed in this post above. Try implementing them out, we are confident they’ll let you identify devices that sneaked into your network infrastructure, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Strengthen your network security with Esevel by managing non-essential IoT devices
In a world where IoT devices are multiplying rapidly, keeping your network secure and optimized requires more than just awareness — it demands action. Spotting and removing non-essential IoT devices isn’t just about improving performance; it’s about safeguarding your data from avoidable threats.Esevel helps businesses simplify and secure their IT infrastructure by giving you full visibility and control over connected devices across your distributed workforce. With the right tools and strategies — like network scanning, DHCP log reviews, manufacturer checks, and network segmentation — you can confidently weed out unnecessary IoT devices before they become a liability.
