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  1. #1
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    Default MAC Address changing

    Ok, I'm not sure about this, I'll post it as I can remember and hopefully sum1 can confirm it so no1 else goes thru this.

    I had a problem converting from USB to Ethernet on my Cable modem, just wanted to so that less CPU speed would be taken up becuz of USB.

    I tried quite a lot of stuff.

    I conceded and rang Ntl support!! ARGHHHHHHH

    Newayz wen I finally got thru the person was quite helpful and explained the problem.

    The cable modem, and the ethernet card (and presumably the USB port in some way or another) have what I think are unique MAC Addresses to identify them.

    If the MAC address of the device used 2 take the data from the cable modem (eg Ethernet card) changes then the Cable modem will stop providing the data.

    Apparently this is to stop people abusing the box at the end of ur street distributing the data or something.

    If the Cable modem is turned off for four hours I think it was then the device's MAC address can change. So newayz just left the Cable modem plugged out over night and put it in ethernet next day, job done!!

    Just saying this is the kind of thing that cud cause a lot of hassle if u dont no about it.

    Can ne1 confirm this so I aint causin mor hassle than help?

  2. #2
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    never heard of the mac address changing mate. as far as i know the mac address of the network card it the only important one (unless you are running a router) you will need to register that mac address with ntl/telewest and powercycle the cable modem, the modem will then 1. ask for the mac from the net card, 2. check with the server that the mac is allowed to be on the network, 3. the cable modem will learn the mac address of the netcard and lock itself to that one address (until powercycled).

    If you were to buy a new network card i suppose the mac would have "changed" and the new one would need to be registered with ntl/blueyonder before you could get back online

    Turning the box off for 4 hours would only really release the ip address but there are many rumours on how long this takes between 4 hours and 3 days.

    I think maybe what got it to work was if you read out the mac address of your network card to him and he registered it on their system it would be something like 00-03-4S-F6-28-20. you should have been able to just powercycle the modem and renew the ip address and it should have worked straight away. Although saying that i waited three days once before the mac was accepted after registering it online but others have taken 10 seconds and worked fine.

    hope this clears a few points up

    Gimp

  3. #3
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    No I dont fink ur rite about registering it m8.

    One comp in this house is sharing this connection to anova but I'm pretty sure I've left it ova night and then plugged the cable modem in2 this computer that I'm on now and its worked.

    Newayz I'm probs gona do it 2night so I'll b able 2 confirm that u can change ethernet cards (and presumably ther 4 MAC addresses) without a phonecall to NTL.

  4. #4
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    this is definetly the case with blueyonder there is a page on there website where you can add a new one, see below.

    here it states that you can only have 5 mac's registered to your account and only use one at at time

    i think you mean you are using internet connection sharing (ics) and in that case you will only have one mac address registered ( the host machine) the others will talk to the host and tell it what they want the host will then fetch it from the internet and distribute it to the other machine thus only the host is connected to the internet. you will notice that the host has 2 ip addresses one being the ntl ip ie. 62.??.??.?? or something and the other being 192.168.?.? whish is you home lan. the other machines will have only one which will also be 192.168.?.?

    Gimp
    Last edited by gimp; 12th August 2002 at 10:02 PM.

  5. #5
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    Default

    pic1

    pic2

  6. #6
    DF VIP Member Macca_uk's Avatar
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    Yeah, BY lets u specify the MAC address's (up to 5) whereas NTL is different.

    The reason you had to shut down the modem is because it remembers the last MAC address. So takes a while for it to forget if u get me

    Macca

  7. #7
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    I think that shut down time 2 'forget' it is deliberate by NTL to stop connections getting abused.

    @ Gimp, dude I no wat ICS is. Wat I'm saying is if I move the cable modem from the ethernet card downstairs 2 the one upstairs (farily easy becuz all the cables run 2 a hub downstairs neway) then I can use the internet up here (obviously with only one ethernet here I then cant share it).

  8. #8
    DF VIP Member hxbro's Avatar
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    OK to clear this up.

    NTL you only register the cable modem mac address, no registering of any other devices.

    Switching between the usb connection and the network card, should just be a case of powering off the cable modem, plugging in the network cable, and powering it back up again, and doing a reboot of your pc too (making sure you have enabled dhcp on the network card).

    That should be it for ntl. You shouldn't have to wait for the cable modem to "forget" the mac address, it forgets it as soon as you power off the cable modem, when it comes back up, it searches for the device connected to it (either usb or ethernet) and will find the new device straight away.

    Hx
    Download my latest breaks and electro mixes or listen to Sellout Breaks FM

  9. #9
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    Cheers Hxbro,

    Would be interesting to see if i can get another surfboard modem, register the bac of the cable modem with blueyonder and uncap it. as long as you used it on a different pc you would be pretty much untouchable other than the person who registered the mac.

    I wonder if their is a way to spoof or change the mac address of the cable modem with ntl? it would be interesting to set it the same as a set-top TV box and see how long before they kick it offline, the tv box mac address would be allowed on the system but the modem would request the highspeed config instead of the 64k interactive tv config. I think it would work with NTL, wouldn't work with blueyonder as they would need the mac of the netcard registered too. i wish i was on ntl so i could try it.

    would need to change it to match someone else's tvbox tho so if they were to cut the mac address the people who's box it was would complain and get it put back on.

    I will do some more experiments on my spare telewest tvbox and see what happens when you try to go online with a deactivated box. i know that the proper box's get a 10.??.??.?? but i bet the mac addresses are registered in the same database. Would be cool to have an untraceable 10mbit connection for £0/month!

    Any thoughts on this? Anyone?

    Gimp

  10. #10
    DF VIP Member hxbro's Avatar
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    I do know how to change the mac address of a stb (if I can find my docs on it ;-), it does require the box to have a dev build on that allows you access to the vxworks os.

    The mac address is registered with ntl/tw for the stb, so it would probably not work once you changed it (and it'd would require a complete reset of the box - hint: look for jumpers ;-)

    Hx
    Download my latest breaks and electro mixes or listen to Sellout Breaks FM

  11. #11
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    cheers bud, i actually meant changing the mac of a surfboard modem so its the same mac as a set-top box then in theory you would be activated. i will look at how to change it later and hopefully when its all sussed i may be able to setup a nice 10mbit ftp for df members

    Gimp

    Ps, i have been looking into modifying the config for the built in cable modems on the set-top boxes, they dont seem to be activated on telewest boxes but when you connect it up and monitor it through the network port it sends loads of arp requests but wont accept any incoming traffic from the lan side.

  12. #12
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    Look dudes seriously. Ther is a four hour time deliberately set 2 allow changing of interface cards mac address. I am pretty sure of this.

    hxbro if u dont believe this then change ur cm from one thernet 2 another immedietly (power off if u want) and it wont work.

    Try it again but leave a four hour power off and it shud.

    Try it and cum bak here

  13. #13
    DF VIP Member gimp's Avatar
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    I can't really comment on this time delay as it appears NTL is significantly different to blueyonder.

    what cable modem are you using, it would be interesting to see how it times the four hours when its unplugged.

    Gimp

  14. #14
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    y do u think the cable modem times it?

    Wen the cable modem is registering when it is turned on it probably sends the MAC address to NTL, and NTL will confirm it is the same one that was used in the last 4 hours.

    Newayz a CMOS battery on a motherboard can save a password so that is all it would take.
    Last edited by Porthos; 14th August 2002 at 11:54 AM.

  15. #15
    DF VIP Member hxbro's Avatar
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    I can't test it now (got rid of ntl cable ages ago), but its how I used to do it prior to getting a router (swapping between pc and laptop was a regular occurance). The cable modem only sends its mac address, it shouldn't send any mac address of a device connected to it.

    Only thing I can think off is that other cable modems are the problem, mine (3com CMX) worked as I described above.

    Of course feel free not to believe me, I didn't work in the cable industry for the past 2 years

    Hx
    Download my latest breaks and electro mixes or listen to Sellout Breaks FM

  16. #16
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    APOLOGY.

    Although I was sure this had happened b4 I have just changed it now and it has worked str8 away. Sorry!

  17. #17
    DF VIP Member hxbro's Avatar
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    He he, no worries

    Hx
    Download my latest breaks and electro mixes or listen to Sellout Breaks FM

  18. #18
    DF VIP Member raelmadrid's Avatar
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    Changing the mac address on an SB4100

    Hi,

    I had NTL 512k cable service for a year (for free). the second half of the year it was uncapped to 1meg/1meg (no probs) then i got greedy and uncapped to 10meg/10meg when MD5 was cracked (i was hitting 650k/s). Then i was booted off. So i re-registered with them for the 128k service hoping i could uncap again but this time stay 1meg/1 meg but they've pre-registered the mac address of this shitty ntl home ambit modem. I can't uncap it! so i was wondering if anybody knew a way to change the mac address of my SB4100 which i still have to the one on the ambit then it would be allowed back on the network and i could uncap. Thanks in advance

    bEaRKiLL@

  19. #19
    DF VIP Member Hippie on hill's Avatar
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    Is this what you're trying to say?

    http://www.nthellworld.com/article/?action=show&id=212

    Odd that you're in Notts way2gud4u cos I am too and I used to have trouble connecting up any other PC to the modem but now NThell seem to have actually fixed that problem.
    Did I ever tell you you're my hero?

  20. #20
    DF Probation Porthos's Avatar
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    thanq hookerman! that was wat i was talking about, u hav saved me from looking like a liar!!!


    quote 'Of course feel free not to believe me, I didn't work in the cable industry for the past 2 years', how cumz u hadnt herd of this then?!?!?

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