Head Scratching Discovery

Mysterious MSFT 50 Device Baffles Router Owners

Head-Scratching Discovery

Users of Asus routers are reporting a peculiar phenomenon: a mysterious device named "MSFT 50" appearing on their networks, consuming significant amounts of data. The device type is listed as "Light Cat MSFT 50," leaving many wondering what it is and why it's showing up.

Investigating the Enigmatic Device

To shed light on the situation, let's examine a screenshot of the device on an Asus router. The image shows the device connected via Wi-Fi, with an IP address assigned by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The DHCP process involves a series of interactions between the router and the device:

1. DHCP Discover: The device broadcasts a request for an IP address.
2. DHCP Offer: The router responds with an IP address offer.
3. DHCP Request: The device accepts the offered IP address.
4. DHCP Ack: The router acknowledges the device's acceptance.

However, the appearance of MSFT 50 on the network without user intervention raises questions about how it was assigned an IP address and what its purpose is.

Attempts to Resolve the Mystery

Some users have reported that their PCs have changed their names to "MSFT 5 0" without their knowledge. Despite attempts to change the names back, the alteration persists. This suggests that the MSFT 50 device may be influencing the network settings on user devices.

Others have noticed the MSFT 50 device appearing after re-installing Windows on their PCs. Despite changing all passwords and security measures, the device remains present on the network. This raises concerns about potential security breaches or unauthorized access.

The Role of Merlin Firmware

The Asus router firmware known as Merlin appears to have some built-in DNS probing functionality. The latest firmware update, version 38066, includes a new feature that may shed light on the MSFT 50 device.