Networking Tip - Clone Mac Address: Networking

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Networking Tip - Clone Mac Address

Tags: Networking | Written on 21/7/08

While visiting my parents I needed to get wireless internet working.  After a half hour of investigation with the ISP tech support, they said, "it is your linksys router, call the manufacturer".  Well, I know my router is just fine because I used it earlier that day at my house.

So basically, what was happening is that if I hooked up the cable modem to the main PC, it worked.  But if I tried to connect up the cable modem to the router, it wasn't working because the router was not getting an IP address from the ISP. 

I did some digging around in the control panel and found something new to me, "Clone Your PC's Mac" address:

Clone Mac Adress in Linksys Control Panel

 

This makes your router look like your PC to the ISP and allowed me to connect just fine. Try it sometime if you are having problems connecting your router to the internet.

Comments

#1. Robert on 21/7/08
A clever trick is to hook it up to your router first, power off your modem and back on again, and if you still can't get an IP, call your ISP and just tell them you got a new computer. Don't even mention you have a router.
They will then reset your modem to authorize with a new MAC (this time it will be your router) and bingo, it will work.
As soon as you mention router or anything, 99% of ISP's will just be like "Woah, that's the problem right there. We don't support it, call them."
#2. Marc Grabanski on 21/7/08
Great tip, Robert. The only problem I see with your solution is that once you disconnect the router and connect the main computer, you will have to call them again and repeat the process.
#3. Robert on 21/7/08
Yes, in that case you would, however usually when you go to a router you never go back to a direct connection, you just always go through the router :)
However your solution works well too :)
#4. nyphonejacks 3 weeks, 4 days ago
since the begining of the whole broadband internet thing cable modems required you to clone the mac address in your router.. many companies have relaxed that standard now that they allow you to connect multiple PCs to the modem with a router, but back in the beginning, they wanted you to purchace a seprate modem for each connected PC...

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