[yticolev]

I work at a hospital that has a network that until recently I have been freely using on my PowerbookG4 using DHCP. They have made some changes I am now no longer able to access. There have been a few periods where I have gained access to the network and was able to copy the IP address, subnet mask, and router addresses. On the advice of a computer store worker, I configured my TCP/IP control panels to utilize these and obviously communicated to the network for I received the following dialog box (generated by Apple software):

Another device on your TCP/IP Internet,
which has the physical address 00 02 A5 6A 12 2E, is
currently using the same IP address
(198.212.4.134). Your TCP/IP network interface
has been shut down.

The computers at the hospital are mostly Compaq boxes running Windows 98 and Novell-delivered applications. Bootup sign-on from these computers is done with an open password taped to the computer but a personal username and password may be used if you want access to Office type programs and network storage of your documents. confidential data is accessed from password controlled applications from within the Novell window. Access to the intranet and Internet is freely accessed from any of these computers without passwords and was available on my Powerbook using DHCP.

Is there a way that I can reaccess the network from my Powerbook? Is that physical addresss above an Intel chip address or in any case, is there a way that I can fake it from my computer? I'm assuming that this is the limiting factor but I can speculate that it may also be something to do with the way that the Compaq computer signs on initially to the network? In which case, I would need something to simulate the Novell sign in dialog box. As a tip, whatever changes the IT dept are making, it does not involve going around to the hundreds of computers in use to make program changes.

As I am using the network for personal Internet use, the IT department is not going to help me. Could anyone speculate why they may be making these network changes? I would suppose that it is security related, so confidential data is not accessed. But as I have the passwords to use professionally, I don't understand the need to restrict what network computer is used. This is the first hospital I have worked in whose ethernet network did not support DHCP.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[macroy]

You may want to find out if a new policy was implemented (maybe having to do with HIPPA??). Borrowing an address is easy (you just happened to take one that was already being used). But tracing back to which workstation/switch port that took it is also easy. So you probably should find out about any new policies.... so you don't end up loosing your job over this....

[ghporter]

If it isn't related to HIPPA, it should be. Unrestricted access to a network that has access to medical records puts a health care facility in danger of being assessed huge fines. Perhaps you should just ask for an account for your PowerBook, instead of accessing the network without permission.

[mofu]

The IT department not help you is one thing, the fact that it might be against hospital policy or the that law is another. Please confirm you have permission to be on the network. If it is allowable:

00 02 A5 6A 12 2E is a MAC address, no not that kind of Mac. While I'm sure there is at least a way of cloning MAC address in Darwin, it is a VERY, VERY bad idea to have conflicting MAC addresses on the same network. The IT department would want your head.

That is a public internet IP address you were trying to use. The Hospital may be running short of available addresses.

I hope this is not a Wireless connection we are talking about. Even with WEP, 802.11b is not secure enough for medical records. IMHO anyway.

[macroy]

Originally posted by mofu:
The IT department not help you is one thing, the fact that it might be against hospital policy or the that law is another. Please confirm you have permission to be on the network. If it is allowable:

00 02 A5 6A 12 2E is a MAC address, no not that kind of Mac. While I'm sure there is at least a way of cloning MAC address in Darwin, it is a VERY, VERY bad idea to have conflicting MAC addresses on the same network. The IT department would want your head.

That is a public internet IP address you were trying to use. The Hospital may be running short of available addresses.

I hope this is not a Wireless connection we are talking about. Even with WEP, 802.11b is not secure enough for medical records. IMHO anyway.

I think conflict was with the IP (198.212.4.134), not the MAC. It simply stated that the conflicting machine had that MAC address. Nonetheless, I agree with the above.