Question: why router uses Ethernet MACs for WiFi connections

[WildHorse]

Why does my D-Link DIR-655 router use the MAC addresses of the wired Ethernet adapters for wireless connections of 2 laptops here, instead of using the MAC addresses of the WiFi adapters?

It only does that for 2 of a total of 9 Dynamic DHCP Clients serviced by that router. For the others it uses the MACs of the wireless adapters, (like it "should.").

It’s not a problem, and all are performing A.-O.K., but I’d like to understand “why” as I'm learning more about networking. Would appreciate it if anybody can comment.

 

[theevilsharpie]

You're probably seeing the wired MAC when communicating with the access point because that's the interface that the access point uses for its management interface.

 

[thefreeaccount]

Are you looking at the actual ARP table, sniffing network traffic, or is this some kind of GUI summary?

Have the clients been connected to the router through a wire since the last time the router was rebooted? Have any of the clients been connected to each other in a wired network very recently?

Are the clients configured to do routing/ICS?

Are you using upnp?

 

[Texashiker]

Question: why router uses Ethernet MACs for WiFi connections

Because that is the way its designed to work.

There is all kinds of stuff you can do with mac addresses. One thing is, you can learn the serial numbers, and know the brand name of the card by looking at the first number of the mac address.

 

[WildHorse]

In the router gui for network settings you can enter DHCP reservations, so it’ll permanently assign an IP address you chose to each host based on the host MAC.



For those 2 laptops, if you enter the MAC of the wireless adapters, the router won’t allow those 2 computers to communicate to the internet. If you enter the MAC of the wired Ethernet adapters all works A. OK.



thefreeaccount, All is wireless, not wired, and was not wired in the past.

 

[JackMDS]

Unreserve the wire addresses, and enter the Wireless MAC addresses when the Wireless is On and working.