Comcast Requires Mac Address?

[novon]

I noticed my Comcast cable service wasn't working...after a lot of troubleshooting found out that my router spooking my mac address wasn't working any more and I needed to use my computer's real mac address to access the Internet. Is this new policy for Comcast? I live in the Seattle area...it was fine until too days ago. Also...how does this affect privacy?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Are you sure the router isn't broken?

 

[Crazymofo]

They used to use MAC address but I know for sure in my area they dont anymore... your router is prolly broken...

 

[Rallispec]

i'd have to agree- sounds like a router problem

 

[Savij]

I doubt they're restricting via mac address. If they were, you would have to give (call customer support) them your mac address everytime you got a new computer.

In addition, if your router is spoofing your comp's mac address, it's almost impossible for them to know.

Get a new router.

 

[novon]

It was working fine before, then no Internet. The router is working fine - buy only with the computer MAC address used instead of the routers.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Ok, to be specific, I went from behind my cable modem & a software firewall to behind a router on comcast, and I had no problems making the switch.

 

[pulse8]

Comcast in Los Angeles restricts by MAC address. If my router fails and I get a new one, I have to call them up to change it.

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Savij
I doubt they're restricting via mac address. If they were, you would have to give (call customer support) them your mac address everytime you got a new computer.

In addition, if your router is spoofing your comp's mac address, it's almost impossible for them to know.

Get a new router.

a lot of cable companies' equipment tie the service to the mac address. i had that experience with at&t in slc. i've had the experience with dsl here in atlanta, as well.

 

[Savij]

a lot of cable companies' equipment tie the service to the mac address. i had that experience with at&t in slc. i've had the experience with dsl here in atlanta, as well.

I didn't mean that companies don't do it, I meant that he would know cause he would have to have given them his mac address at some point.

 

[Kadarin]

I'm on Comcast here, and here they do not require the MAC address. I switched the connection from my PC, where it was initially configured, to my Apple Airport router, without issue.

 

[novon]

no, I didn't give them my MAC address, I just had to change a setting in my router from spooked mac to actual computer mac, even though spooked was working before, now it's not.

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Savij

a lot of cable companies' equipment tie the service to the mac address. i had that experience with at&t in slc. i've had the experience with dsl here in atlanta, as well.

I didn't mean that companies don't do it, I meant that he would know cause he would have to have given them his mac address at some point.

not necessarily - often the equipment ties to it on first use.

 

[Savij]

not necessarily - often the equipment ties to it on first use.

Yeah, I didn't think about that...

no, I didn't give them my MAC address, I just had to change a setting in my router from spooked mac to actual computer mac, even though spooked was working before, now it's not.

Usually on the router you can either use the router's built in MAC or you can spoof the MAC of the computer. If you turned off the spoofing off then your router's built in MAC is being used for the connection. If it works only with spoofing off, maybe Comcast had your routers built in MAC on file and started restricting by MAC so only your router is authorized for your connection.

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Savij

not necessarily - often the equipment ties to it on first use.

Yeah, I didn't think about that...

The funny thing is that's is so easy to spoof a mac address anymore, it kind of defeats the purpose. reminds me of "product activation" :disgust: