[TomHMeredith]

Hey

I have an iBook, and am wondering if there is any (easy preferably!) way to change the ethernet address of the network port?

All of the network ports at uni are locked to a specific address, meaning I can't access the network or the internet, if I could set my ethernet address to the relevant settings, then I shouldn't have a problem should I?

Any help appreciated.

Tom.

[escher]

I don't think you can change the hardware Ethernet address (also referred to as MAC address) of a system. Note, however, that a computer may have two MAC addresses for two different interfaces. E.g. my iBook has an Ethernet MAC address and a different AirPort MAC address.

Am I correct in understanding that your school restricts network access to certain hardware MAC addresses? If so, the logical thing to do would be to ask the IT people at uni to add your MAC address to the list of permitted users.

Escher

[TomHMeredith]

Hi

They do restrict access to certain MAC addresses, but each port has 1 allowed address - the one of the terminal which is sitting there. So asking them to put me on the list wouldn't work.

Never mind.

Thanks anyway.

Tom.

[COmie JOe]

The link sys router is able to clone a MAC address, you could use one of those if you need to have it appear as if only one terminal is connected.

[bradoesch]

Originally posted by COmie JOe:
The link sys router is able to clone a MAC address, you could use one of those if you need to have it appear as if only one terminal is connected.

Can you program the router to clone specific MAC addresses?

[:XI:]

Originally posted by TomHMeredith:
Hi

They do restrict access to certain MAC addresses, but each port has 1 allowed address - the one of the terminal which is sitting there. So asking them to put me on the list wouldn't work.

Never mind.

Thanks anyway.

Tom.

Are you talking about MAC Addresses or IP addresses?

[TomHMeredith]

I assume that it is MAC addresses. My reasoning for this is that in my halls they have (apparently) the same system. When I registered that I had a computer I had to give them my MAC address for my iMac. When I tried plugging my PowerBook in I got no signal, and when I plug my iMac into someone else's room, I get no signal so that implies that specific ports have specific allowed MAC addresses.

Tom.

[COmie JOe]

Yes you can spesifiy exactly what address to clone.

[Paco500]

A MAC address can be changed. This is common practice on network equipment. You will have to do some digging, I couldn't find an easy way to do it, but I'm sure it's possible,

Try a more technically oriented forum. Or the newtorking forum here.

It can be done. This is a certianty.

[pyramids]

as far as I know they can't be changed although the router thing seems interesting. the MAC is a manufacturers code and it a unique number is built into the hardware of every network adapter made. different manufacturers have different ranges of MAC id's. there can never be two with the same number on the same network, so being able to change them is only asking for trouble, especially a portable device.

a router in your room may do it, but it would defeat the purpose of the system, to control overall traffic on a rather extended network.

you have two machines - how about connecting them via USB?

[olePigeon]

You can change the MAC address rather easily, here's how:

Classic -

Open up your System Folder with ResEdit. Create a resource 'eadr' Type in a new MAC address (uses HEX, 6-bytes). Change the resource ID to the slot your ethernet is on (Zero if it's onboard). Save, restart.

When the system restarts, the ethernet driver will look for a resource 'eadr' before configuring the ethernet card. It will apply the new MAC address. If you want your old MAC address, just delete the eadr resource from your System Folder.

Mac OS X -

/sbin/ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:00:00:00:00:01

I think.

[COmie JOe]

Originally posted by pyramids:
as far as I know they can't be changed although the router thing seems interesting. the MAC is a manufacturers code and it a unique number is built into the hardware of every network adapter made. different manufacturers have different ranges of MAC id's. there can never be two with the same number on the same network, so being able to change them is only asking for trouble, especially a portable device.

a router in your room may do it, but it would defeat the purpose of the system, to control overall traffic on a rather extended network.

you have two machines - how about connecting them via USB?

USB what are you on?

[pyramids]

a simple cable - available at radio shack - claims to allow you to share tcp/ip via the usb port. i haven't used it but there it is.

[TomHMeredith]

Hi

Thanks for your suggestions, but I already have internet on my iBook in my room through Airport (my iMac is set up to share my ethernet connection, and it works on my iBook).

What I want is a way for my iBook to 'clone' the MAC address of one of the computer terminals on campus, so I can unplug that machine, plug in my iBook and get onto the network, because I am out of range of my iMac's Airport range when I am there.

Tom.

[COmie JOe]

Originally posted by pyramids:
a simple cable - available at radio shack - claims to allow you to share tcp/ip via the usb port. i haven't used it but there it is.

I doubt that it will work for the Mac, and I further doubt that whatever terminal won't mind you installing software onto it.

[olePigeon]

Ok, you guys obviously skipped right over my post.

Scroll up and read it. I gave instructions on how to change your MAC (Ethernet) Address.

[TomHMeredith]

Thank you olePigeon.

I assume that you put what you want the ethernet address to be in place of the "00:00:00:00:00:01" and that a restart is required?

I'll try it out later today or tomorrow.

Regards.

Tom.

[rlotz]

For whatever reason Apple doesn't allow you to change your MAC address via ifconfig. There are <a href="http://slagheap.net/etherspoof/">kernel patches</a> that will allow you to do it. However they probably haven't been tested on 10.2.4. Hell, I doub't Apple has even provided the development source for xnu on 10.2.4 yet.

That said, apple's KB entry to 10.2.4 states:
<blockquote><i>
Allows for use of a hardware Ethernet address with the ifconfig command in Terminal
</i></blockquote>

I've tried it on both en0 and en1 and haven't had success yet. I really wish Apple would just support MAC address changing by default. It's a very useful tool for network diagnositics.

[Peter Panther]

On X.2.3, the correct syntax, according to
man ifconfig
should be

# ifconfig en0 ether 00:50:de:ad:be:ef

however, that gives us :
ifconfig: ioctl (SIOCAIFADDR): Operation not supported

olepigeons commandline looks a +lot+ like linux-syntax, where ifconfig is correctly implemented and works as advertised. Should you really be determined to get there, you can
- install a flavor of Unix with a working ifconfig command, Linux, and the BSDs come to mind
- adapt the previously cited hack for recent Jaguar xnu and win extra geek-points in the process

I just checked fink, they don't seem to have ifconfig in stock.

BTW the fine admins do this to you to avoid that even more 31337 kidz than you brainwash the ethernet-switches and take over your connections, so be happy, they are clued.

[rlotz]

Originally posted by Peter
olepigeons commandline looks a +lot+ like linux-syntax, where ifconfig is correctly implemented and works as advertised. Should you really be determined to get there, you can
- install a flavor of Unix with a working ifconfig command, Linux, and the BSDs come to mind
- adapt the previously cited hack for recent Jaguar xnu and win extra geek-points in the process

I just checked fink, they don't seem to have ifconfig in stock.
[/B]

olepigeon obviously didn't try his suggestion. ifconfig is implemented properly. A fink/darwinports provied ifconfig wouldn't help. It's Apple's xnu that is lacking support. I keep hoping apple with either:

a) support it in xnu themselves, or
b) update their xnu sources so other people can support it.