MAC address keeps changing!

Jaaay · 28 Sep 2012 at 16:26

Hi guys, i have an MBA, and im living in university halls, the problem is that whenever i restart the laptop the mac address changes, and this creates problems for the broadband provider Ask4, as i am limited to only 8 mac address changes before i get locked out of the network. I was just wondering if theres a way i can stop my laptop from changing its mac address every time. Thanks.

geuben · 28 Sep 2012 at 16:27

Are you sure? MAC addresses are assigned to network devices and shouldn't change (unless you are changing it on purpose)

Jaaay · 28 Sep 2012 at 16:30

Its everytime i unplug and plug in my usb to ethernet adapter it seems to change itself

Jaaay · 28 Sep 2012 at 16:31

Is there a script or something i can run each time i boot the computer that will reset the mac address to its 'default' so it stops changing by itself perhaps?

Deleted member 77746 · 28 Sep 2012 at 16:55

Buy a TPLINK 150Mb/s AP. You then don't have to use your usb to ethernet

http://uk.tp-link.com/common/subject/wireless/TL-WR702N/?siteid=16

slinxy · 28 Sep 2012 at 19:36

you mac address shouldn't be changing at all.. its a pain to change it when you want to in fact.

What are you actually using? a modem from your isp? the ethernet port on the mac book?

Jaaay · 28 Sep 2012 at 19:40

Im using a USB to ethernet adapter i got off the bay because i refuse to pay £30 for it from Apple, plus i want to keep my thunderbolt open for an external display. The adapter works brilliantly, but would it be causing my mac address to change everytime its unplugged?

Doohickey · 28 Sep 2012 at 19:43

Sorry to ask a stupid question, are you sure you mean MAC address? As opposed to IP/DNS etc etc? Your MAC address of a device shouldn't change unless I am mistaken.

slinxy · 28 Sep 2012 at 20:04

Jay™ said:
Im using a USB to ethernet adapter i got off the bay because i refuse to pay £30 for it from Apple, plus i want to keep my thunderbolt open for an external display. The adapter works brilliantly, but would it be causing my mac address to change everytime its unplugged?

The adapter isn't working brilliantly as it keeps changing its mac address. The mac address is on the adapter itself and not on your laptop.

I've never been with ask.com.. but IF its an ethernet to usb adapter, they should be using mac address of the adapter. If your using the LAN infrastructure at halls, they (the uni/college) may have setup a proxy or security system on it that could be confusing the reading of your mac address. But the mac address should be written on the device itself or on a box in the format XX:XX:XX:XX:XX.

If you open up terminal and type ifconfig that will tell you what your computer is seeing your mac address as, compare that to the mac address on the item/box and the one that your isp is reading.

Its been a while since I looked into it, but I thought MAC address was fix to the device for legal reasons, I can remember a big who ah about it a few years back when a manufacture made a load of laptops with the same mac address, but that may have changed as a few billion communication devices have come out since then.

Why didn't you go for cheap wifi router option?

Deleted member 77746 · 28 Sep 2012 at 20:04

Mac Addresses don't change unless you manually change it if it allows it.

uniQ · 28 Sep 2012 at 21:31

Delete the network interface from network settings and make any other non used inactive. Then re-add Ethernet.

/ifconfig & arp -a

Check if you're interface is en0 or en1 then spoof the mac address:

sudo ifconfig en0 ether xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

Or get a decent adapter.

Jaaay · 29 Sep 2012 at 19:29

I just checked the packaging it has no set up material or anything regarding a fixed mac address :/

How does one delete the network interface?

uniQ · 29 Sep 2012 at 19:41

Select it in Network pref's then remove and re-add.

Skyboat · 29 Sep 2012 at 23:51

Should have spent the money on the adapter on a wireless access point instead.

Jaaay · 30 Sep 2012 at 20:40

I think im going to go down the wireless access point route, can anyone recommend a cheap one? Is it possible to use a wireless router? I have an old Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 laying around, could i use this?

uniQ · 30 Sep 2012 at 21:14

Login to the router and check if it has a bridge mode/access point option. Or check if it is dd-wrt/tomato firmware compatible.

Otherwise I have a TL-WA701ND which works flawlessly and was only £13ish. Otherwise homeplugs are quite popular but more expensive.

Jaaay · 1 Oct 2012 at 19:58

Was thinking of getting a cheapy sumvision one for £13, ive found a virgin superhub, i guess this cant be set up to be act as an access point can it?

Skyboat · 1 Oct 2012 at 21:32

Any cable router should work, just need to plug into the WAN port, configure the Wi-Fi and away you go.

Jaaay · 2 Oct 2012 at 19:24

The superhub just had 4 ethernets and an aerial socket, i googled a bit and found it cant be done, it can be used as a router or a modem, but not as an access point. So i went ahead and grabbed a Tenda W311R 300Mbps Wireless Broadband Router from the river, just waiting for it to be delivered now!