Remove Disconnected Devices From Your GFiber Network

To remove a disconnected or old device from your Google Fiber (GFiber) network, the process depends on whether you are using the Google Home app (for newer Nest Wifi/GFiber setups) or the Google Fiber account portal (for older Network Boxes).

Here is how to clean up your network list for both scenarios:

Method 1: Using the Google Home App (Nest Wifi / Google Wifi)

If your GFiber network is managed via the Google Home App, you cannot manually "delete" a device that is simply offline. However, the system handles this automatically:

• Automatic Removal: The Google Home app automatically removes disconnected devices from your active list after up to 30 days of inactivity.

• The Quick Fix (Factory Reset): If you absolutely want a clean slate immediately, you can perform a network factory reset via the app and set it up again. This will wipe out the history of all old devices, but you will have to reconnect your current ones.

Method 2: Using the GFiber Web Portal

1. Go to fiber.google.com and sign in to your account.

2. Click Network in the upper-left corner.

3. Select Devices to see a list of everything that has connected to your network.

4. Look for the disconnected device under the Inactive or offline section.

5. Click on the device name, and look for an option to Forget or Delete the device.

Method 3: Changing Your Wi-Fi Password (The "Boot Everything" Option)

If you have a device that keeps trying to reconnect, or you want to instantly force all disconnected or unwanted devices off your network permanently:

1. Open the Google Home app or log into your GFiber portal.

2. Navigate to your Wi-Fi settings and change your Wi-Fi password.

3. Reconnect only the devices you currently use. Any old or unauthorized devices will be permanently blocked until someone enters the new password.

What Happens When You Remove a Device?

The Network tab in your account keeps a historical list of every non-Fiber device (like a computer, tablet, phone, or game console) that has ever connected to your home network. When you delete a disconnected device from your history, the GFiber network automatically updates several security and data settings. 

Removing a device will permanently:

• Clear its identity: Delete the device name, history, and records from your account. If the device reconnects in the future, it will be treated as a first-time connection, and you will need to rename it.

• Free up its IP address: Any dynamic or reserved local IP addresses previously held by that device are instantly returned to the pool for other devices to use.

• Delete custom routing rules: Any custom port forwarding rules set up for that specific device will be erased.

• Cancel DMZ hosting: If the removed device was acting as your network’s DMZ host, the DMZ will immediately turn off, and your router will resume its standard firewall security baseline. Learn how to reconfigure a DMZ for your network.