Connecting to Wifi problem

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Rickles

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#191181 26-Jan-2016 22:27

I have a new tablet running Android 4.4

I can connect to Wifi no problem, including the additional Access Point I usually run for hooking up test computers or for visitors. However, as soon as I add the tablet into my main Wifi network and invoke MAC Control, it balks at connecting and returns 'authentication problem' error message.

When connected (after disabling my routers MAC Control) I looked at the list of attached devices and spotted that the MAC address was different to what had been automatically applied earlier in the MAC Control list. Thinking that my router may have picked up the tablet's MAC, I changed it to the other one, which I also noticed was the Wifi MAC under the tablet's details, and it seemed to work OK.

However, subsequent attempts to connect again met with the authentication problem message, BUT this time the MAC address had changed in the connected devices list in the router.

This seems a little weird, but could the tablet be putting out random MAC addresses?

What's the solution?

MadEngineer

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#1479445 26-Jan-2016 22:37

Why do you even use mac filtering? It's like having a pass code that you must publically shout at your door before it will open while also using a key.

for the mac address to change like that, it's either got a custom rom or is faulty.

what model phone is it? got any apps with wifi or wi-fi in the name?

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Rickles

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#1479452 26-Jan-2016 22:50

>Why do you even use mac filtering?<

A perennial question, sure, but for a home/small office network, using a Password and MAC Control does at least afford some frontline security.

That aside, I've now spent some time searching the 'net and it seems to be quite widespread for both phones and tablets, particularly after specific Android updates. Whilst the 'real' MAC is burned into the devices, it seems that the software intercepts this and presents a completely different one to the network, hence it will connect OK without MAC filtering.

Cannot find any firm solution though.

MadEngineer

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#1479453 26-Jan-2016 22:57

I'd be taking it back. It'll wreak havoc with dhcp

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sbiddle

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#1479541 27-Jan-2016 08:01

Both Apple from iOS8 and many Android devices use random MAC addresses for security purposes. You simply can't do what you want to do.

MAC ACL offers no security anyway these days.

MadEngineer

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#1479562 27-Jan-2016 08:26

I haven't seen any of my devices doing that. Neither at home nor on a hotspot network I have across this half of the north island.

At home any connecting device is given a name and I always see the same mac per device. For the hotspots, from the logs it's always the same people connecting on the same mac addresses.

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sbiddle

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#1479592 27-Jan-2016 08:51

Ahh I stand corrected on iOS. I thought it used randomized MAC addresses for all connections, but it's only for PNO and ePNO network scans.