Site Tools


mac_address

This is an old revision of the document!


MAC Address

The MAC Address menu has settings to let you electronically change the Mac (Media Access Control layer) address of various network Fi interfaces.
Note that this function does not change the hardware MAC Address in the actual device chip. It just overlays the different address in software.

WAN Port: In this field, you can enter any valid MAC Address to be assigned to the WAN interface.

  • Default: This option leaves the MAC Address as the fixed factory hardware address burned in to the device's chip.
  • Random: Choosing this option assigns a random MAC Address to the device
  • Clone PC: Choosing this option assigns the same MAC Address used by the hardware client connecting to the Tomato router.

Many cable-based Internet providers authorize your cable modem based on its MAC address. Every DOCSIS cablemodem has a unique address. When your modem syncs with the Internet provider, the Internet provider will either grant or deny it access to the network based on it's MAC Adddress.

Some cable companies, for some reason, also authenticate the network card in your computer. First it will authenticate the Cable Modem, and then when your computer attempts to get online, they'll check and make sure that you're still using the same computer/network card/etc that you've always used. If you've changed your network card or installed a router, they will deny you access to the Internet.

This is why most cable routers have a “MAC Address Clone” (Use Computer MAC address) feature. If you tell your router to clone your network card's MAC Address, it makes your cable provider think that you're still using the same computer/network card to access their services, and therefore they allow your router on the network.





Wireless Interface eth1: In this field, you can enter any valid Mac Address to be assigned to wireless interface eth1

Wireless Interface eth2: In this field, you can enter any valid Mac Address to be assigned to wireless interface eth1

Wireless Interface wl0.1: In this field, you can enter any valid Mac Address to be assigned to wireless interface wl0.1

mac_address.1616881381.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/03/27 21:43 by hogwild