Adding wireless router to Telewest and NTL Broadband - MAC address question

I'm an ADSL user, myself, and have added a wireless router to my setup with
no problems. A friend of mine has Telewest Blueyonder Broadband and wants to
do the same thing, with my help. As I understand it there is a bit of
faffing about required to do with registering MAC addresses with Blueyonder
and they say you can only have one computer attached at a time, although 5
MAC addresses can be registered.

Obviously the point of adding a router is to allow multiple connections.
What is required in order to implement a router with Blueyonder regarding
authorised MAC addresses? Does my friend need to tell any porkies or does he
just need to tell them the MAC address of the router and that's it?

I also have friends with NTL Broadband and I guess the same question applies
for them too. They are looking to me for advice and I don't want to make a
cods up of it all.

TIA,
Tim.

"Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bus4rr$ietuv$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm an ADSL user, myself, and have added a wireless router to my setup
with
> no problems. A friend of mine has Telewest Blueyonder Broadband and wants
to
> do the same thing, with my help. As I understand it there is a bit of
> faffing about required to do with registering MAC addresses with
Blueyonder
> and they say you can only have one computer attached at a time, although 5
> MAC addresses can be registered.
>
> Obviously the point of adding a router is to allow multiple connections.
> What is required in order to implement a router with Blueyonder regarding
> authorised MAC addresses? Does my friend need to tell any porkies or does
he
> just need to tell them the MAC address of the router and that's it?
>
> I also have friends with NTL Broadband and I guess the same question
applies
> for them too. They are looking to me for advice and I don't want to make a
> cods up of it all.
>
> TIA,
> Tim.
>
>
Some routers will "spoof" the one mac address for this very reason. Not sure
which one will for cable though

Ian

"Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bus4rr$ietuv$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm an ADSL user, myself, and have added a wireless router to my setup
with
> no problems. A friend of mine has Telewest Blueyonder Broadband and wants
to
> do the same thing, with my help. As I understand it there is a bit of
> faffing about required to do with registering MAC addresses with
Blueyonder
> and they say you can only have one computer attached at a time, although 5
> MAC addresses can be registered.
>
> Obviously the point of adding a router is to allow multiple connections.
> What is required in order to implement a router with Blueyonder regarding
> authorised MAC addresses? Does my friend need to tell any porkies or does
he
> just need to tell them the MAC address of the router and that's it?
>
> I also have friends with NTL Broadband and I guess the same question
applies
> for them too. They are looking to me for advice and I don't want to make a
> cods up of it all.
>
> TIA,
> Tim.
>
The router has it's own MAC address which is the only MAC address visible to
the cable co. Many routers can also clone the MAC address of one of the
clients, so the cable co. won't even know that the set-up has changed.

HTH

Andy

Andy Lord wrote:
> "Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:bus4rr$ietuv$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I'm an ADSL user, myself, and have added a wireless router to my
>> setup with no problems. A friend of mine has Telewest Blueyonder
>> Broadband and wants to do the same thing, with my help. As I
>> understand it there is a bit of faffing about required to do with
>> registering MAC addresses with Blueyonder and they say you can only
>> have one computer attached at a time, although 5 MAC addresses can
>> be registered.
>>
>> Obviously the point of adding a router is to allow multiple
>> connections. What is required in order to implement a router with
>> Blueyonder regarding authorised MAC addresses? Does my friend need
>> to tell any porkies or does he just need to tell them the MAC
>> address of the router and that's it?
>>
>> I also have friends with NTL Broadband and I guess the same question
>> applies for them too. They are looking to me for advice and I don't
>> want to make a cods up of it all.
>>
>> TIA,
>> Tim.
>>
> The router has it's own MAC address which is the only MAC address
> visible to the cable co. Many routers can also clone the MAC address
> of one of the clients, so the cable co. won't even know that the
> set-up has changed.
>
> HTH
>
> Andy

It does help, thanks. But that leads to me to two further questions -

1) So the router plugs into their cable modem, not directly into the wall
point?

2) Do you know which brands allow MAC spoofing? I have a Netgear ADSL router
and have not noticed such a feature on mine. If the router spoofs the
registered PC MAC address does the PC MAC address need to be altered or can
two identical MAC addresses exist within the same network?

TIA again,
Tim.

: Andy Lord wrote:
: > "Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
: >> I'm an ADSL user, myself, and have added a wireless router to my
: >> setup with no problems. A friend of mine has Telewest Blueyonder
: >> Broadband and wants to do the same thing, with my help. As I
: >> understand it there is a bit of faffing about required to do with
: >> registering MAC addresses with Blueyonder and they say you can only
: >> have one computer attached at a time, although 5 MAC addresses can
: >> be registered.
: >>
: >> Obviously the point of adding a router is to allow multiple
: >> connections. What is required in order to implement a router with
: >> Blueyonder regarding authorised MAC addresses? Does my friend need
: >> to tell any porkies or does he just need to tell them the MAC
: >> address of the router and that's it?
: >>
: >> I also have friends with NTL Broadband and I guess the same question
: >> applies for them too. They are looking to me for advice and I don't
: >> want to make a cods up of it all.
: >>
: >> TIA,
: >> Tim.
: >>
: > The router has it's own MAC address which is the only MAC address
: > visible to the cable co. Many routers can also clone the MAC address
: > of one of the clients, so the cable co. won't even know that the
: > set-up has changed.
: >
: > HTH
: >
: > Andy
:
: It does help, thanks. But that leads to me to two further questions -
:
: 1) So the router plugs into their cable modem, not directly into the wall
: point?

Cable Modem <> NAT Router/Switch <> PC LAN Card (or multiple LAN cards on
other PC's).
There are ADSL Modem/Router combo units but I've never heard of a CM/Router
combo unit.

: 2) Do you know which brands allow MAC spoofing? I have a Netgear ADSL router
: and have not noticed such a feature on mine. If the router spoofs the
: registered PC MAC address does the PC MAC address need to be altered or can
: two identical MAC addresses exist within the same network?

I use a Netgear Router on NTL. Initially NTL allowed only one MAC address but
have heard they now allow 2 MAC addresses. This means there is no need to wait
4 hours to register a MAC when you switch your laptop and desktop using the
Cable Modem. During the Router set-up you are asked is you wish to spoof the
MAC of the connected LAN card. I personally spoofed my LAN MAC so that if the
router failed I could simply remove it and connect my PC directly to the CM.
Obviously if NTL now offer 2 MAC's this is no longer a concern.
There is no need to alter the PC MAC address as the router merely spoof's the
MAC towards the ISP and has knowledge of the MAC of the PC LAN card and of
course it's own true MAC.

HTH

Use.Netuser.de wrote:
>> Andy Lord wrote:
>>> "Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
<snip>
>> It does help, thanks. But that leads to me to two further questions -
>>
>> 1) So the router plugs into their cable modem, not directly into the
>> wall point?
>
> Cable Modem <> NAT Router/Switch <> PC LAN Card (or multiple LAN
> cards on other PC's).
> There are ADSL Modem/Router combo units but I've never heard of a
> CM/Router combo unit.
>
>> 2) Do you know which brands allow MAC spoofing? I have a Netgear
>> ADSL router and have not noticed such a feature on mine. If the
>> router spoofs the registered PC MAC address does the PC MAC address
>> need to be altered or can two identical MAC addresses exist within
>> the same network?
>
> I use a Netgear Router on NTL. Initially NTL allowed only one MAC
> address but have heard they now allow 2 MAC addresses. This means
> there is no need to wait 4 hours to register a MAC when you switch
> your laptop and desktop using the Cable Modem. During the Router
> set-up you are asked is you wish to spoof the MAC of the connected
> LAN card. I personally spoofed my LAN MAC so that if the router
> failed I could simply remove it and connect my PC directly to the CM.
> Obviously if NTL now offer 2 MAC's this is no longer a concern.
> There is no need to alter the PC MAC address as the router merely
> spoof's the MAC towards the ISP and has knowledge of the MAC of the
> PC LAN card and of course it's own true MAC.
>
> HTH

That's great. Thanks. Seems everything should be straightforward enough. I
wonder if MAC spoofing is a feature of cable DSL routers deliberately to
overcome these little hurdles, whereas there is no need to spoof on an ADSL
line.

Cheers :-)