• by Chuck Martin , December 12, 2018

In an effort to make interacting with smart home devices easier, Comcast is adding a new feature to its home networking systems.

The Xfinity xFi feature will automatically import names given by customers to devices as they are connected to the home’s WiFi network. This replaces the listing of devices by the former 12-character MAC addresses, which are much more technical than phrases such as “Ryan’s iPad” or “Kelsey’s bedroom lights.”

New connected devices will be detected and imported with the brand, type and operating system directly into xFi, according to Comcast.

“You can also use many of xFi’s other control features to more easily set up a bedtime rule during school nights, monitor how much time is being spent gaming during the weekend or quickly connect grandma’s smart phone if she has trouble connecting to WiFi during visits,” stated Comcast in a blog post announcing the feature.

The new feature is being made available to all 15 million Xfinity customers.