Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
4everpleased
Enthusiast - Level 3

A little backstory...

We previously had FiOS in the Philadelphia Metro area. We elected to buy the router provided through Verizon (Actiontec with grey band around the front).

I am completely paranoid (rightly so) when it comes to my internet. To this end, I found a way to manually change the public IP address of our home network by simply changing/cloning the MAC address. I would accomplish this by following these steps:

- Log into the web interface of the router (192.168.*.*)

- Click Advanced and confirm warning message

- Click on MAC Cloning

- Change and apply the changes to the last two characters of the MAC Address (00, 01, 02, etc.)

- Disconnect the power from the router for 30 seconds

- Reconnect the power and allow the router to power cycle

- Disconnect the power from the router for another 30 seconds

- Reconnect the power again and allow the router to power cycle

After this sequence of steps, which normally takes no more than a couple of minutes, I would have a new public IP address. Normally, one would have to disconnect the power from the router until the DNS lease expired (which could be anywhere from 8-12 hours or more).

We moved to the New York Metro area and had no choice but to use the local provider in this area (urgh!!). However, because we bought the previous router from Verizon, we elected to keep the router and use it with our new provider. This worked fine and I was able to continue manually changing the IP address via the MAC address as if we were still back in PA.

Fast forward to present day. We now have Verizon FiOS in the area (thank gawd!). However, because we have a higher internet package (75/35), the technician advised that the current router (the one with the grey band) cannot handle the speed throughput and we should consider upgrading to the new version (ActionTec with the orange band around the front). Now that I write this, that statement may have been a sales upselling ploy but whatever.

However, I can no longer perform the manual steps to change my IP address. When I change the MAC address, the internet light (the one next to the globe) goes from green to amber. Even if I finish the procedure, the light stays amber.

I state all of this to ask two questions:

- Is there something I am missing with this new router? What step(s) should I take to complete my previously perfect process with this new router?

- Does anyone know if the Actiontec routers (grey front band and orange front band) are different? Can the grey front band support 75/35?

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Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
prisaz
Legend

If you were previously on PPPoE it may have been much easier to get a new IP. But if you are now DHCP, it is a bit more complicated. Before changing anything on the router in regards to mac address, or even changing routers, you must go into the WAN setup and perform a Release in the IP lease, then pull the WAN cable or turn of the router so it is not given a new IP by chance. Then with the router disconnected from the WAN, you can log in and make changes. With the lease time it varies, and you could end up with the same IP even if you do that. I have read of people turning off the router over night if for some reason they were to end up with a blacklisted IP or something.

IF you have made changes, and cannot get on the Internet, tech support may wish for you to reset your router which will cause your efforts to be fruitless. So if you have not released you IP, you may have to turn off your router and wait for the lease to expire, them turn it back on. Or contact tech support and let them know you made router changes and need a new IP, release and renew, because you are not getting an IP. Last time I went in circles and they wanted to escalate me to tier two support. Yea! By that time I had fixed it myself or the DHCP lease had expired.

Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1

If you have the 75/35 internet package you are suppose to have a Rev. I actiontec with the red band

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Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@4everpleased wrote:

A little backstory...

Fast forward to present day. We now have Verizon FiOS in the area (thank gawd!). However, because we have a higher internet package (75/35), the technician advised that the current router (the one with the grey band) cannot handle the speed throughput and we should consider upgrading to the new version (ActionTec with the orange band around the front). Now that I write this, that statement may have been a sales upselling ploy but whatever.

 Does anyone know if the Actiontec routers (grey front band and orange front band) are different? Can the grey front band support 75/35?


The first pargaraph is correct - the old router will nit support WIRELSS 75/35, instead it will back you down to wireless g - max 54.

As they give you the router for free why not just take the new rev i wirless-n router which also is pretty crumby.  You'd actually probably be better off just attaching your own wireless-n access pointbehind your old VZ router which can handle the sub 100mb speed (wired) with no issues. 

Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
bbinnard
Contributor - Level 3

Randonly changing the MAC address is NOT a safe way to get a new IP.  The reason is that you just possibly could create a new MAC address that duplicates one already on the Verizon network, and this would cause very strange and difficult to resolve problems.  The MAC (Media Access Control) address is unique to each physical device and as you may realize, duplicate device addresses are not allowed in the fundamenal Ethernet specifications.

Fortunately there is a fairly simple and safe way to get a new IP from Verizon when you have the Version I (uppercase i) router.  This method requires abotu 10 minutes, so it is not as fast as the one originally described (that one seems very odd to me, but if it worked then OK.) Here are the steps to do it (previously published here several times):

1. Get to the your router's Network Connections menu and select the Edit option for the Broadband connection

2. Click on DHCP Release; when you do this notice the orange light on the router

3. While the light is ornage (I'm not sure how long it actually will stay orange) power off the router using the rocker sqitch on the back

4. Wait 10 minutes while the Verizon server figures out your router is offline and frees up it's slot in its DHCP table

5. Power the router back on and wait for all the lights to get green

After this you can check your IP address and it will be different - perhaps a lot different. By using this method you can be assured that nothing bad will happen and your overall throughput will remain unchanged.

Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
4everpleased
Enthusiast - Level 3

image


@bbinnard wrote:

1. Get to the your router's Network Connections menu and select the Edit option for the Broadband connection

2. Click on DHCP Release; when you do this notice the orange light on the router

3. While the light is ornage (I'm not sure how long it actually will stay orange) power off the router using the rocker sqitch on the back

4. Wait 10 minutes while the Verizon server figures out your router is offline and frees up it's slot in its DHCP table

5. Power the router back on and wait for all the lights to get green

After this you can check your IP address and it will be different - perhaps a lot different. By using this method you can be assured that nothing bad will happen and your overall throughput will remain unchanged.


Hi bbinnard and thanks for your comment. I have attached a screen grab of what I believe is the section you are referring. Since my lease will expire in 88 minutes, I am just going to disconnect the router now and wait a couple of hours before I turn it back on. This, in essence, is still performing a release and renew....just a longer timeframe. If this does not work, I will try the easier method.


@viafax999 wrote:

As they give you the router for free why not just take the new rev i wirless-n router which also is pretty crumby.  You'd actually probably be better off just attaching your own wireless-n access pointbehind your old VZ router which can handle the sub 100mb speed (wired) with no issues. 


Hi viafax999 and thanks for your comment. Technically, they have not "given" me this router. I am renting it. I could have bought it for $99 (similar to what I did with the Version F router). However, I did call recently call Verizon and the technician stated exactly what you referenced....using a newer (better) router and disabling the wireless on the Version I router.

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Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
4everpleased
Enthusiast - Level 3

@prisaz wrote:

If you were previously on PPPoE it may have been much easier to get a new IP.



image

Hi prisaz. I am going to ask a potentially very dumb question. Do I, as the consumer, dictate whether or not my connection type is PPPoE or DHCP? If I do, exactly how does one go about making that change?

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Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
4everpleased
Enthusiast - Level 3

@bbinnard wrote:

1. Get to the your router's Network Connections menu and select the Edit option for the Broadband connection


As a follow-up, neither of the previously mentioned options worked for me. When I had 88 minutes left on that current lease, I disconnected the power from the router and went back to sleep for a few hours. I woke up and reconnected everything but still had the same IP address. I then did a DHCP Release through the web interface and then turned off the router. I waited about 15 minutes before turning the router back on but I still had the same IP address.

That being said, I want to make sure we are referring to the same area of the web interface. There is no specific section of the web interface for the Network Connection. However, I found the section under:

ARP Table -> Broadband Connection (Ethernet/Coax) -> Settings -> DHCP Release

Is there another area of the web interface I should go to in order to properly release the IP address from the DHCP server?

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Re: Changing IP Address Via MAC Address
prisaz
Legend

You take a different route, but I believe reach the same location,.

The way I get there is.

Click on the globe for all your connections,

Along the top row select Broadband Connection Ethernet/COAX

Open it. Select settings, and about half of the way down you will see Release and Renew.

That may be a longer route, but that is how I get there.

Some have heard reported waiting over night. Just because the lease has expired, does not mean you will not get the same IP renewed, it depends on what is available in the DHCP pool.

If you really need a different IP for a reason, I would say you may need to contact Verizon, and have them remove your routers MAC from the pool. Security is not a good reason unless you are being attacted, and it is a DOS issue. In that case, turn on security logging for inbound connection attempts and show them. I get hit a lot, and it is regardless of what IP I have. I have my network behind a second router, and ONLY Verizon stuff on their Actiontec. So I have a second layer of protection.

A matter of fact, I was in a chat with VZ support, and the insisted on access to my PC and network to diagnose a MOCA coax issue on their router. I said NO! End of chat, they called twice, and I ignored them. I will wait for answers here. Yea you need my PC to access you router. She was smoking something! Tier-.0001 support!