Each router (router), as well as any other network device, has its own unique number - the MAC address, which can be quite easily learned and changed.
In order to find out which MAC address is set on the router, you just need to turn the router box over, and the corresponding number will be written in the MAC ID field, which usually consists of 12 letters and numbers. In addition, the MAC address can be found through a special web interface with which each such device is equipped (by the way, changing the MAC address is also done in the web interface of the router).
How do I find my MAC address?
Before changing the MAC address of the router, you need to find out the MAC address of the network card of the computer into which the provider's cable was plugged before. You can find out the number in several ways, depending on the version of the operating system used on the personal computer.
For example, in Windows XP you need to go to the "Start" menu and go to the "Control Panel". In the window that appears, you need to open "Network Connections". Next, you need to find the active Internet connection you are interested in and use the right mouse button to call the context menu, and then select the "Status" item. In the "Support" tab, click the "Details" button, after which a special window will open, and under the "Physical address" item the MAC address of the network card will be indicated.
In Windows 7, this procedure is almost identical. The user will also need to go to the "Control Panel", and then to the "Network and Sharing Center". Then on the left you need to select "Change adapter settings" and find the connection of interest. After clicking the right mouse button, the item "State" is selected, and in the opened window "Information". The MAC address can be found in the "Physical Address" line. After the number you are looking for is found, it is best to write it down on a piece of paper.
Replacing the old number with a new one
Then you need to go to the settings of the router itself. This is quite easy to do - you need to open any browser and enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar (the address may be different, depending on the model and the manufacturer itself, for example, 192.168.1.1). After the web interface is open, you need to find a special item in the settings, where the MAC address of the router is indicated (in each model it can be in different places). When the required field is found, you will need to enter the number that was recorded by the user before, instead of the old MAC address, and then click the "Clone MAC Address" button and save all changes. When the router checks the new information directly from the Internet service provider, the user will gain access to the global network.
