Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify media devices

A network communications monitor to identify a media device, the network communications monitor comprising:

• memory;
• instructions;
• and
• at least one processor to execute the instructions to cause the at least one processor to at least:
• connect to a home network associated with a panelist home;
• monitor the home network for a network communication sent by a requesting device separate from the network communications monitor, the network communication having a destination other than the network communications monitor;
• in response to detection of the network communication transmitted on the home network, extract an internal internet protocol address of the requesting device that transmitted the network communication on the home network;
• in response to extraction of the internal internet protocol address of the requesting device, perform a first lookup to identify a media access control address of the requesting device based on the internal internet protocol address;
• in response to identification of the media access control address of the requesting device, perform a second lookup to attempt to identify a device identifier of the requesting device based on the media access control address, the device identifier different from the media access control address;
• in response to a failure of the second lookup, signal an audience measurement entity to prompt a panelist associated with the home network for an identification of the requesting device;
• store data identifying the network communication in association with at least one of the device identifier or the media access control address in a network communications data store when the second lookup identifies the device identifier, and
• store the data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address when the second lookup does not identify the device identifier.

A network communications monitor to identify a media device, the network communications monitor comprising:

• memory;
• instructions;
• and
• at least one processor to execute the instructions to cause the at least one processor to at least:
• connect to a home network associated with a panelist home;
• monitor the home network for a network communication sent by a requesting device separate from the network communications monitor, the network communication having a destination other than the network communications monitor;
• maintain a table of device identifiers and respective media access control addresses corresponding to registered devices on the home network, the device identifiers provided by a panelist associated with the home network during a registration process;
• in response to detection of the network communication transmitted on the home network, attempt to identify a device identifier of the requesting device from the table of device identifiers and respective media access control addresses based on a media access control address of the requesting device;
• in response to a failure to identify the device identifier, initiate prompting of the panelist to provide a device identifier for the unidentified device;
• store data identifying the network communication in association with at least one of the device identifier or the media access control address in a network communications data store when the device identifier is identified, and
• store the data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address when the device identifier is not identified.