Network querry

Jimmy1983 · 4 May 2007 at 18:34

Ive just finished a new build and have got xp and vista installed. Ive got a linksys wag54g router, my old pc is plugged into the router via a cat 5 cable. After I had installed xp I used another cat 5 cable and plugged it into port 2 on the router and to the pc to setup the internet.

Has soon as I plugged it in and opened firefox the internet worked straight away, I didnt expect it too work like that, as ive got MAC filtering on and I thought I would have to setup the new build in control panel with the key etc. Iam sure each network adapter has its own unique physical address?!

Now I done the same when vista have been installed and the same thing happened.

Strange, why is this?

Kol · 4 May 2007 at 18:41

MAC filtering is on the wireless side, is it not? If you use a physical connection it's fine. Or rather, that's how mine works.

Jimmy1983 · 4 May 2007 at 18:43

Kol said:
MAC filtering is on the wireless side, is it not? If you use a physical connection it's fine. Or rather, that's how mine works.

Iam sure that each machine has a physical address, if you ping your machine its tells you what it is.

oddjob62 · 4 May 2007 at 19:19

Jimmy1983 said:
Iam sure that each machine has a physical address, if you ping your machine its tells you what it is.

Mac filtering works on wireless connections (unless you have a nice expensive Cisco switch or similar)

You ping using IP, which is a logical address not a physical address.

Jimmy1983 · 4 May 2007 at 19:30

oddjob62 said:
Mac filtering works on wireless connections (unless you have a nice expensive Cisco switch or similar)

You ping using IP, which is a logical address not a physical address.

thanks for that, I didnt realize. Still not sure why I didnt have to run through any wizards to get the internet working.

matja · 4 May 2007 at 21:34

Just for the record - MAC filtering can happen on wired ports on cheap home routers too. I'm connected via my housemate's belkin wireless router, via one of the wired ports (I hate that wireless stuff), and it definetly MAC-filters me - I'd had to add the MAC address of all my NIC's.

Kol · 4 May 2007 at 21:51

Jimmy1983 said:
Iam sure that each machine has a physical address, if you ping your machine its tells you what it is.

Hi mate, yes, all NICs do, indeed, have a physical address, however from the routers I have owned the MAC filtering itself is only to control the wireless.

Jimmy1983 · 4 May 2007 at 22:42

Kol said:
Hi mate, yes, all NICs do, indeed, have a physical address, however from the routers I have owned the MAC filtering itself is only to control the wireless.

NIC's?

Kol · 4 May 2007 at 23:14

Sorry, network interface cards, ie. anything that is a network card! Nothing important

Jimmy1983 · 4 May 2007 at 23:19

Kol said:
Sorry, network interface cards, ie. anything that is a network card! Nothing important

Ah yer remember now, tned to forgot some terms used.

oddjob62 · 5 May 2007 at 02:14

Jimmy1983 said:
thanks for that, I didnt realize. Still not sure why I didnt have to run through any wizards to get the internet working.

When first installed, windows will set the network cards to pick up an IP by DHCP. If that is enabled on your router, then it will supply your PC with the correct details for connecting to the network and the internet.