Re: How to get the MAC address of an ANTENNA on my roof

On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 15:24:42 +0000 (UTC), in
<(E-Mail Removed)>, Brent
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I was wondering if there is a good way to get the MAC address of my antenna
>on my roof with software?
>
>DETAILS:
>
>Googling, I found Network Stumbler for Windows, which gave me a lot of
>information about transmitting access points; but the antenna (which is a
>receiver) wasn't on that list.

That's probably because antennas do not have MAC addresses -- they don't
work at that level.

>Trying to install airsnare screwed up on something called winpcap so that
>failed (although if it's the right approach, I'll try again if you think it
>will get the antenna address).
>
>I even climbed on the roof to see if there was a sticker but the box (which
>seems sealed) is so old any stickers are long gone from the elements.

So it sounds like you have a >> Wireless Ethernet (client) bridge <<
connected to (built into) that antenna, which does have a MAC address,

>The antenna has a line of sight connection to the ISP's antenna (but the
>ISP support guy won't tell me the MAC address, only the last 6 digits). He
>asked why I want to know, and, well, I just wanted to see if I can connect
>to the antenna from a PC directly.
>
>He told me to use a crossover cable, which worked fine connecting to the
>antenna directly, but I want to try wireless and he said they don't support
>that. But I don't see why I shouldn't be able to just change my MAC address
>on the PC to connect directly to the beamed signal.

Why would you need to do that? Is the ISP filtering by MAC address?
What are you trying to do?

>Here's the setup:
>- ISP has a tower which my rooftop antenna is aimed at
>- Rooftop antenna has a cable that enters the attic and ends on a box
>- That box has a power supply connected, the one RJ45 input from the
>antenna, and one RJ45 output
>- When I connect a crossover cable to that RJ45 output, I'm on the net.
>- When I connect a router to that RJ45 (via a normal cable), I'm on the
>net.
>
>All I want to do is use my PC to "emulate" the antenna (mostly to see if it
>can be done

Your PC can't "emulate" an antenna -- it needs its own antenna to work
without the antenna and Wireless Ethernet (client) bridge. Is that what
you want? If so:
* Can your PC "see" the wireless access point of the ISP?
* If so, it should be able to connect if authorized by the ISP.
* If not, it probably doesn't have sufficient range (antenna gain).

>but partially to get access on the property that's further from
>the router).

By wire or wireless? If the latter, you need a wireless repeater.

>I assume I can use a MAC address changer to emulate the antenna. I just
>need to know the MAC address of the antenna. The ISP gave me the last few
>digits but this is a technical question I haven't been able to answer by
>googling.
>
>QUESTION TO THE EXPERTS:
>How could I get the MAC address of a rooftop antenna that I have wired
>access to via an RJ45 output?

You can't "emulate" the antenna. Can you be more clear about what you
want to do? See the wiki below for lots of helpful info.

--
John FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://wireless.navas.us>
FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:48:28 +0000 (UTC), in
<(E-Mail Removed)>, Brent
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:49:30 -0700, John Navas wrote:

>> Is the ISP filtering by MAC address?
>
>I don't know. What I do know is that my antenna receives the signal from
>their access point. I can easily 'see' their access point from my PC with
>netstumbler (or even Windows WZC) when I connect with WZC directly to their
>access point, a login web page comes up.
>
>Note that there is no login web page when I connect to the RJ45 coming out
>of the antenna/bridge that is on my roof.

So the ISP is using some sort of authentication on its wireless Ethernet
(client) bridge. If you want to directly replace that device, then
you'll need the same authentication, and if the ISP won't give it to
you, then you're probably out of luck.

>> What are you trying to do?

>I'm assuming if I emulate on the laptop the MAC address of the
>antenna/bridge on the roof, then the laptop (I am hoping) can receive the
>signals from the access point.

Probably not without the authentication.

>The advantages to me are:
>a) It's interesting
>b) I can be on the net far farther than my own router will broadcast
>(Their access point signal is five bars all over my property while my own
>router signal drops off drastically just fifty feet away from the house).

Another option is your own *outdoor* wireless access point with a good
antenna, which should have considerably more range than that.

>> * If so, it should be able to connect if authorized by the ISP.
>
>My router DOES connect so I'm authorized by my ISP. I know you guys are a
>suspicious bunch, but, I just want to see if I can find the MAC address of
>the ethernet card in that antenna box on the roof using software.
>
>I directly asked the provider support guy who only gave me the last few
>digits. Obviously they don't think I need to connect to their access point
>directly (but they let me do that during my first month when I was having
>problems so I KNOW it can be done. They asked me for my MAC address and
>that allowed me to bypass the login screen they have when you connect to
>the otherwise open access point).
>
>That's why I know it will work; if only I could emulate the MAC address of
>the ethernet card in the antenna box.

If the ISP is indeed authenticating just by MAC (which would be
surprising since it's so easily spoofed), then all you need is to sniff
the *wireless* MAC of the device (as Jeff described).

--
John FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://wireless.navas.us>
FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:11:19 +0000 (UTC), in
<(E-Mail Removed)>, Brent
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I did query my router to find the gateway IP address, 192.168.3.1 and ran

How exactly? The usual method is "IPCONFIG /ALL" on your client.

>Tracert reported:
>C:\Documents and Settings\brent>tracert 192.168.3.1
>Tracing route to hotspot-wifi.hughes.com [192.168.3.1]
>over a maximum of 30 hops:
> 1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.1

That's probably your "antenna" (WISP router).

> 2 5 ms 3 ms 3 ms hotspot-wifi.hughes.com [192.168.3.1]

That's probably your WISP hotspot.

>C:\Documents and Settings\brent>arp -a
>
>Interface: 10.20.30.202 --- 0x2
> Internet Address Physical Address Type
> 192.168.1.1 00-16-B6-32-43-26 dynamic

That's probably the LAN interface of your "antenna" (WISP router).

>I'm not sure WHAT MAC address that ARP is reporting as my router tells me
>it's MAC address is one higher (i.e., 00-16-B6-32-43-27).

How exactly?

>Any ideas on what this is telling me?

00-16-B6-32-43-27 looks like the WAN interface with
00-16-B6-32-43-26 the LAN interface of your "antenna" (WISP router).
The two interfaces are often just one number apart.

--
John FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://wireless.navas.us>
FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:27:15 -0700, in
<(E-Mail Removed)>, John Navas
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:11:19 +0000 (UTC), in
><(E-Mail Removed)>, Brent
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>Any ideas on what this is telling me?
>
>00-16-B6-32-43-27 looks like the WAN interface with
>00-16-B6-32-43-26 the LAN interface of your "antenna" (WISP router).
>The two interfaces are often just one number apart.

Here's what I'm currently getting with IPCONFIG:

| >ipconfig /all
|
| ...
| Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
|
| Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : sbx10219.sanfrca.wayport.net
| Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
| Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1F-3B-AE-27-85
| DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
| Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
| Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d68:8de7:f73e:a364%12(Preferred)
| IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.64(Preferred)
| Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
| Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 05, 2010 07:47:38
| Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 05, 2010 08:47:38
| Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.1
| DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 98.97.49.102
| DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 218111803
| DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-13-9A-35-DA-00-21-86-54-02-85
| DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.1
| Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.1
| NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
| ...

My adapter MAC: 00-1F-3B-AE-27-85
My adapter IP: 192.168.5.64
Gateway (LAN side of the router I'm connected to): 192.168.5.1

Here's what I'm currently getting with ARP:

| >arp -a
|
| Interface: 192.168.5.64 --- 0xc
| Internet Address Physical Address Type
| 192.168.5.1 00-90-fb-1a-40-36 dynamic
| 192.168.5.255 ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff static
| ...

My client interface: 192.168.5.64
LAN side of router: 192.168.5.1

--
John FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://wireless.navas.us>
FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 08:14:38 +0000 (UTC), in
<(E-Mail Removed)>, Brent
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:11:19 +0000 (UTC), Brent wrote:
>> The Arp reports a MAC address but it's the MAC address of the router:
>
>CORRECTION.
>
>The MAC address of the router is actually +1 from the MAC address that arp
>is reporting.
>
>What MAC address is arp reporting anyway?

ARP reports the hardware (MAC) addresses of the network segment you are
connected to. In the case of a local connection to a router, ARP
reports the address of the LAN side of the router. The WAN side will
often be one number away.

>> C:\Documents and Settings\brent>arp -a
>>
>> Interface: 192.168.1.1 --- 0x2
>> Internet Address Physical Address Type
>> 192.168.1.1 00-16-B6-32-43-26 dynamic
>> ----------
>>
>> I'm not sure WHAT MAC address that ARP is reporting as my router tells me
>> it's MAC address is one higher (i.e., 00-16-B6-32-43-27).
>>
>> Any ideas on what this is telling me?

--
John FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://wireless.navas.us>
FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

Meanwhile, at the alt.internet.wireless Job Justification Hearings, Brent
chose the tried and tested strategy of:

> Request {GET http://192.168.4.1/login?dst=http%3A....google.com%2F
> <<<http://www.google.com/, http://www.google.com/ -6} fuktered by ABE:
> <LOCAL> Deny

That's NoScript's XSS filtering.

--
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