Fix Your Internet Connection by Cloning your MAC Address? my internet service went down and my ISP told me it’s because I’m using a router. I need the router as I have multiple computers in my house. doIs there anything I can do to fix this situation?
This problem is all too common and in fact I have had it several times. I have also been told that my Internet service “not compatible with routers”. If you’ve ever been given that line by customer service, you should know that it’s simply not true.
Fix Your Internet Connection by Cloning your MAC Address
This router incompatibility is based on facts, but is usually expressed in a way that makes it misleading and untrue.
Hardware called MAC address
Your computer has a hardware address called MAC that never changes and therefore uniquely identifies your computer. When your Internet service provider sets up your connection, register your computer’s MAC address with their system. From then on, your computer must identify itself to your system with your MAC in order to access the Internet.
Since your computer’s MAC is a unique address, any router that you may later configure as an intermediary between your broadband modem and the computer(s) will have a different MAC. The MAC of your router will be unknown to your ISP, so they may deny Internet connectivity to your router. This is why you may have heard that your router is “incompatible» with your Internet service.
Your router is not incompatible with your Internet service. Your router’s MAC is simply unknown to your ISP. Herein lies the problem:why your ISP has set up Internet service for every device in your home? I certainly don’t feel like dealing with my ISP every time I get a new computer, game console, box DVR or any other network-enabled device. I want to plug and play. doWhy buy a new router from your ISP when you already have your own? That is certainly not profitable.
How to clone the MAC address of your computer?
If your Internet service is down because you are using your own router, you can reset it in seconds by cloning your computer’s MAC address to your router. The process of “clone” your MAC address to your router is quite simple:
- Log in to your router’s admin panel and clone your computer’s MAC address.
- Restart your broadband modem.
- When the system reboots, your ISP asks for a MAC address and your router responds with your computer’s MAC instead of its own.
- Your ISP thinks you are talking directly to your computer and restores Internet access.
The actual act of cloning your MAC address is quite simple. Most routers have a button on their admin panel that, when pressed, clones your MAC address and saves those new settings. Log in to the administration panel and look at the different screens of «setting» a button or link to clone your MAC address. This Broadband Reports tutorial has instructions and illustrations for the cloning process on several popular router brands, such as Linksys, D-Link, SMC and Netgear.
To access your router’s admin panel, you need to launch your web browser and type an IP into the address bar. Here are the addresses of some popular brands:
- Linksys: 192.168.1.1
- Network equipment: 192.168.0.1
- Tp-LINK: 192.168.1.1
- D-Link: 192.168.0.1
- US Robotics: 192.168.123.254
- SMS: 192.168.2.1
- Siemens Speedstream: 192.168.254.254
This list is not absolute. You may have a different router than the one mentioned here, or you may have a newer model (or older) to use a different address. In case these addresses do not work, consult the manual of your router. The manual will surely mention how to access the admin panel of the router.
