Reportedly, computers and other network devices are being blocked by the corresponding routers to which those devices are used to connect once. If you notice a warning stating ‘This device is blocked by access control in the router’, you have joined the club.
Mostly, users complain about Netgear routers and modems, along with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 devices. Fortunately, it’s possible to break the loop and reconnect the affected devices to the router.
Let’s find out the possible reasons behind this issue and how you can unblock the device from the router’s access control.
This Device is Blocked by Access Control in the Router: Reasons & Solutions
The Access Control List of any router or modem is a strategy to enhance network security. The list takes care of the network by limiting the router’s access to allowed devices only.
In case of a glitch with the router’s access control system, you are more likely to experience the error. Deactivating the Access Control might help you to escape the ‘This device is blocked by access control in the router’ message.
In addition, if you have configured the Access Control in the Whitelist mode, your router might block all the connected devices. Changes to the IP or MAC addresses might alleviate the situation. Otherwise, you might have to reset the router.
Let’s check out all the effective solutions to unblock your devices.
Turn off the Access Control in the Router
You can create an Access Control List to block devices via their corresponding IP addresses if you have created and activated an Access Control List. Additionally, if one of your devices gets blocked but is not mentioned in the list, it’s shocking. If you want to lift the restriction on your device quickly, simply disable the Access Control.
The method for disabling the Access Control varies slightly from one router model to another. Yet, if you go through a specific router’s dedicated Access Control operations, you can also follow an identical way to turn off your router’s Access Control.
The following guidelines might help you with your router:
- Access your router’s admin panel from another computer that’s not blocked by the router. Go to an internet browser and enter your router’s default gateway.
- Provide the associated credentials to log into your router’s Control Panel.
- Look for Security options, and they are generally under the Advanced category.
- After that, navigate to the Access Control menu and deactivate the option.
Allow all the connected devices to reconnect. You can also strengthen your router security by blocking new connections. Ensure that you have removed your device’s IP address from the blacklist if it’s there.
Apply those changes, and you must restart the router. Check if the ‘The device is blocked by access control in the router’ error pops up anymore.
Try Bypassing the Access Control
There are two evident ways to block a particular device – One is by listing the MAC address of the device, and the other is by registering the system via its IP address. Depending upon which process you follow, you have to make changes in the MAC address or IP address to remove the device.
This solution applies to instances when your router has blocked a majority of devices on the network. Now, you can’t access the router for reverting the Access Control settings. Here’s how you can change the MAC or IP address of your device:
How to change the MAC Address of a Windows PC?
You can unblock a Windows PC first by changing its MAC address. Thus, you can retrieve networking abilities to your PC through the router. Then, you can disable the Access Control.
Go through the instructions to change your Windows device’s MAC address:
- Open a Run dialog box with the Windows+R shortcut key. Enter ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the Run dialog box to explore Device Manager.
- Click the Network Adapters option to expand its corresponding devices.
- Next, right-click the active Network Controller. Select Properties of the Network Controller.
- Go to the Advanced tab and locate Network Address under the Property menu. Click on that and uncheck the ‘Not Present’ value.
- You need to assign a new MAC address for your PC. Input the MAC address in the Value box without any spaces or hyphens. For instance, if you want to enter the MAC address ‘01-23-45-67-89-AB’, then you have to mention it like ‘0123456789AB’ in the Value box.
Complete the setup with a click on the OK button and reboot your computer. Check if the ‘This device is blocked by access control in the router’ error disappears.
Steps to Change a Windows PC’s IP Address
If your router has blocked the Windows device through its IP address, then you can change it. And, restore your device’s networking capabilities by connecting it to the router.
Here’s how you can change your Windows PC’s IP address:
- Bring up a Run dialog box and type ‘ncpa.cpl’. Click the OK button to explore the Network Connection menu.
- Right-click the network that you are currently connected to. Choose Properties and stay on the Networking tab.
- Double-click the option, ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)’. Next, hit the General tab and check the box next to the ‘Use the following IP address’. Ensure that you have unchecked the box next to the ‘Obtain an IP address automatically’ option.
- Provide a valid IP address for the private network and save those changes.
Restart the Windows PC and check if this has resolved the error.
Final Solution: Reset the Router
If you can’t get rid of the ‘This device is blocked by access control in the router’ error at any cost, you must reset the router. To reset your router physically, you must long-press the router’s dedicated reset button for up to 15 seconds.
Release the button once the router starts blinking. Give it time to connect to the modem and maintain a stable network connection. A physical reset restores any device’s factory settings and removes all the custom configurations.
