MSBBN: Cannot Connect to the Internet Without a Cloned Media Access Control Address (331933)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Broadband Networking Wireless Base Station MN500
This article was previously published under Q331933

SYMPTOMS

You may not be able to connect to the Internet.

CAUSE

This issue may occur if your Internet service provider (ISP) requires that you use a media access control address for Internet access.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, clone a media access control address:
  1. Start the Base Station Management tool, and then click Wide Area Network.
  2. In the MAC address box, type the media access control address of the adapter that is installed on the computer that is connected to your base station.

    The media access control address appears on the label on the underside of your adapter.
  3. Click Clone MAC address, click Start, and then click Run.
  4. In the Open dialog box type, CMD.
  5. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /release, and then press ENTER.
  6. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /renew and then press ENTER.
  7. Close the Command Prompt window.
NOTE: Record the media access control address of the adapter that you clone in case you lose your settings or no longer have the adapter.

MORE INFORMATION

When you clone the adapter media access control address, it replaces the base station wide area network (WAN) media access control address. This means that each device on the network, including the base station, appears to have that media access control address.

A media access control address is a unique numeric identifier for a hardware device, such as a base station or adapter. Some ISPs record the media access control address of the adapter that you use when you first connect to the Internet.

Depending on your ISP account, you might experience problems if you use the default media access control address of the base station to connect to the Internet later.

For information about how to clone the media access control address, see chapter 6 of the users guide for your base station.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/7/2006
Keywords:kbnetwork kbprb KB331933
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