Change Your Mac Address For Isp Compatibility

By Author: Michael Smith
Total Articles: 268
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A MAC address, which stands for media access control address, is a type of unique identifier that is sent to network adapters for identification. A MAC address is used in the MAC protocol sub-layer. The main function of this address is to encode the registered identification number. This address is also referred to as Ethernet hardware address, hardware address, and physical address, among others. Although MAC addresses have been designed with fixed numbers, they can still be changed. The intention to change MAC address or hide MAC address must be based on valid reasons and Internet subscribers are only allowed to use one IP address.

Internet service providers or ISPs make sure their subscribers get a single dynamic address. In DSL services, customer login along with usernames and passwords are commonly available, while in modem services, the Internet is accessed by registering and tracking the MAC address of the modem that connects to the service provider. MAC addresses that can be monitored by a certain ISP can be either through cable modem, broadband router, or the computer that hosts the Web connection. With this ...
... kind of setup, the subscriber has the freedom to build a network behind the ISP. Now, when the device is replaced, the action to change MAC address or hide MAC address of the new device will not match with the ISP, the customer's account being disabled for security and billing purposes.

One way to change MAC address is appealing to a process called cloning. There are cases when Internet subscribers contact their ISP and request an updated MAC address connected with the subscription. This can take time but it is definitely reliable. However, the quick way to solve this problem is to change or hide MAC address on the new equipment to match the address that the original device has. Although the physical MAC address cannot be altered, the address will just be cloned using the software; hence, the process of cloning.

There are also other broadband modems that track the MAC address of the computer's network adapter inside the main network. Once the computer that is connected the modem is swapped or the network adapter is changed, your Internet connection will be disabled. In this particular case, a cloned MAC address is not necessary since resetting the cable and the computer will automatically change MAC address that is stored in the modem.

For Windows 2000, computer users can also change or hide MAC address with the use of the My Network Places interface. But this process does not totally work for every network card since it also depends on the level of software support. On the Linux and Unix versions, on the other hand, the ifconfig key supports the change in MAC address if the necessary device is present.

MAC addresses are important when it comes to computer's networking as they offer a unique identity for LAN computers. These addresses can be changed if necessary so as to restore the Internet connection. In addition, changing a MAC address is also important in order to increase the level of privacy in the online medium.

If you want to change MAC address to whatever you choose, it is always easy to do it. Specific to every operating system, to hide MAC address means knowing the address for a particular operating system.