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MAC Address

The MAC Address menu has settings to let you electronically change the MAC (Media Access Control layer) address of various network 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: This option assigns the same MAC Address used by the LAN interface of the client connecting to the Tomato router.

Some 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 will also authenticate the network card in your PC/client device after you've logged onto their network. They do this check to make sure you're still using the same computer/network card/etc that you've always used. If the network detects a different MAC Address than the one associated with the original client device, it will deny your client device access to their network. If Tomato clones your original client device's network card MAC Address, it will fool your cable Intenet provider into thinking you're still using the same computer/network card to access their services, and thus, your router will be allowed on their 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.1616881903.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/03/27 21:51 by hogwild