Randomized MAC address blocks wifi access - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Samsung Galaxy S10e, Android 10 stock.
I am currently a patient at an acute care facility and I use the public Wi-Fi here. Recently, changes were made to the Wi-Fi here, I understand that a new router was installed. Since then, I have been trying to access the Wi-Fi with the correct password, but I get a message that sign in is required and when I click it, I am forwarded to a page that does not load. If I select the menu option to use network as is, I seem to be connected but have no access.
In the past, when accessing this Wi-Fi, I was forwarded to a web page where I had to click a button, and then got access. That page has been gone for quite some time now and the Wi-Fi connected without any issues
Others accessing the Wi-Fi do not seem to have this issue. I tried numerous things to fix this issue, such as deleting the Wi-Fi connection and re-enabling it and resetting the network connection. The only thing that I found that resolves this issue is turning off the randomization of the MAC address and setting it to use the phone Mac address.
For privacy reasons, I would prefer to use the randomized MAC address. If for some reason my phone is being blocked on this network, which is the only thing I can think of, in my limited knowledge of how this works, it would seem my phone Mac address would it be blocked but not a randomized MAC address, because it changes.
My old Galaxy S4 running CyanogenMod Android 6 connects to the Wi-Fi fine, but I don't believe the MAC address is randomized on Android 6, if this is the reason, though this seems unlikely to me as every newer phone would have an issue, since they randomize the MAC address by default
Can anyone supply me any info on this?

@rsngfrce
If the randomized MAC address ( e.g. 32:8c:27:26:72:34 ) doesn't contain the original OEM code in its first 6 hex-numbers you might face a lot of authentication issue.

jwoegerbauer said:
@rsngfrce
If the randomized MAC address ( e.g. 32:8c:27:26:72:34 ) doesn't contain the original OEM code in its first 6 hex-numbers you might face a lot of authentication issue.
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Thanks for your reply. The phone is doing the randomizing as a function of Android and I would have to assume that it would maintain the original OEM code in its first six hex-numbers if this is required (and I have read about that issue). I never had this issue until the new router was installed and I am unaware of anyone else having an issue.

Related

Android cannot accept DHCP offers above 192.168.0.11?

I've been having issues for a month or two and it seems as though I've finally discovered that usually once they start, the highest assigned IP address has always been 192.168.0.11..
Even when I go into the terminal and change my mac address,I still can't get a different IP. Doing the same on my pc and the router is passing out offers in the 20's... Its the story of my life, any fixes??
PS, is it possible to attain closed networks password key with an android?
Is any one out there able to verify if this is or isn't true?
It certainly seems to be the case on hero with both a 2.2 and a 1.5 rom, with what ever router is attached to some open wireless network that I can't afford at the moment.
Cloned2 said:
I've been having issues for a month or two and it seems as though I've finally discovered that usually once they start, the highest assigned IP address has always been 192.168.0.11..
Even when I go into the terminal and change my mac address,I still can't get a different IP. Doing the same on my pc and the router is passing out offers in the 20's... Its the story of my life, any fixes??
PS, is it possible to attain closed networks password key with an android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look carefully at the IP address 192.168.0.11, it's a wrong IP, check here for those router default IP addresses.

MAC address changing periodically.

I've noticed that the WiFi MAC address on my OG has been changing periodically. I first started noticing it on Monday when I was running the Team Nocturnal ROM. Since then I've done a factory reset and now I'm running The Base 0.7.3 and it's still occurring . The first 6 digits of the address are always "00:11:22" and the last 6 seem to be random. I grepped through the /system partition and the only reference to "00:11:22" was in an example config file, so I'm sort of stumped.
My guess is the MAC address is defined by the kernel somewhere? I'm using the freegee 0.5 kernel (3.0.21) . I'm going to try flashing KernelSk8 soon, I'll post my results. Has anyone else noticed this?
Thanks!
AFAIK, MAC address shouldn't change. The first 6 digits of the MAC are supposed to identify the manufacturer of the device - in our case A8:16:B2 = LG Electronics.
You can spoof it, but shouldn't need to. I have no idea why yours would be changing - there shouldn't be a need to.
Yea, I know it shouldn't change, which is why it's an issue At work I have to register my MAC address with the WiFi router in order to get access to the network.
I flashed sk8's kernel and I still have the same issue. I did a little more poking around and it seems to set the MAC address on startup. Does anyone know where the MAC address is set? I thought it was in the kernel but apparently not.
Thanks!
From what I can tell, this is a not-uncommon side effect of installing third-party ROMs on the phone. The last half of the the address gets randomized every time you reboot. This started happening to me after a Nexus 4 conversion -- and it remained even after re-installing the stock ROM.
On the other hand, restricting network access my MAC address isn't that secure. You're better off with a strong password and WPA2 with 256-bit encryption. Your workplace may require MAC filtering, however.
MZille said:
From what I can tell, this is a not-uncommon side effect of installing third-party ROMs on the phone. The last half of the the address gets randomized every time you reboot. This started happening to me after a Nexus 4 conversion -- and it remained even after re-installing the stock ROM.
On the other hand, restricting network access my MAC address isn't that secure. You're better off with a strong password and WPA2 with 256-bit encryption. Your workplace may require MAC filtering, however.
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Thanks for the reply. It's good to know that I'm not the only person having this problem. This must be another undocumented side effect of the Nexus 4 conversion. You're right, it's my work that requires me to register my MAC address. It's really annoying to have to register the device everyday, and if I forget then my email doesn't come through.
Is there anyone that can give me any hints on where the MAC address might be (re)assigned? Or even what android OS system utilities might be used to change the address?
I can find a bunch of Google results for spoofing and changing MAC addresses, but discussion of *preventing* alteration is hard to find. You can apparently use Busybox to set whatever MAC address you like, but it's not clear if the phone retains this setting if it gets rebooted. I'd check right now, but I'm in the middle of a Titanium backup.
Edit: I imagine that you can create a shell script to automate changing the address whenever you need to.
Hi,
I know this is kind of old thread but i am having this issue of MAC address changing on every reboot after installing Candy 5, can someone please point me to a solution. ( its a problem for me as i have to register my MAC at workplace and everyday its changing and causing issues with my work network connection )
Any help would be appreciated.
MZille said:
I can find a bunch of Google results for spoofing and changing MAC addresses, but discussion of *preventing* alteration is hard to find. You can apparently use Busybox to set whatever MAC address you like, but it's not clear if the phone retains this setting if it gets rebooted. I'd check right now, but I'm in the middle of a Titanium backup.
Edit: I imagine that you can create a shell script to automate changing the address whenever you need to.
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Click to collapse

[Q] Fooling the wifi router that my android device is actually a PC

I am having an issue at office. The wifi router seems to be blocking all Android Devices (i.e administrator has intentionally done it) except for PC & Notebook. For example we have a access point with the name of "ROLEX", if i connect to this access point using my android device then it never works but if i try with my notebook then it connects without any issue. We are facing this issue with almost all android devices.
So is it a way to fool the wifi router that my android device is actually a PC and allows me to connect.
fear_matrix said:
I am having an issue at office. The wifi router seems to be blocking all Android Devices (i.e administrator has intentionally done it) except for PC & Notebook. For example we have a access point with the name of "ROLEX", if i connect to this access point using my android device then it never works but if i try with my notebook then it connects without any issue. We are facing this issue with almost all android devices.
So is it a way to fool the wifi router that my android device is actually a PC and allows me to connect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure the router is specifically blocking android devices? Have you tried connecting an iPhone or just about any other Wifi capable device that's from outside of the office and haven't notified the IT department of? It feels more likely that the IT dept. is simply doing mac address restrictions where only devices with specific mac addressed are allowed to connect to the network.There also could be an inherent compatibility issues between the phones and the router, that there is no actual blocking going on at all.
imzjustplayin said:
Are you sure the router is specifically blocking android devices? Have you tried connecting an iPhone or just about any other Wifi capable device that's from outside of the office and haven't notified the IT department of? It feels more likely that the IT dept. is simply doing mac address restrictions where only devices with specific mac addressed are allowed to connect to the network.There also could be an inherent compatibility issues between the phones and the router, that there is no actual blocking going on at all.
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Click to collapse
I did my homework before positing this. Its blocking all the portable devices like Iphone & Android. I also thought it might be a MAC address restrictions but i did spoofed my MAC address of my Android device but still it doesn't seems to be working. I wonder how that Wifi Router is blocking all the portable devices
fear_matrix said:
I did my homework before positing this. Its blocking all the portable devices like Iphone & Android. I also thought it might be a MAC address restrictions but i did spoofed my MAC address of my Android device but still it doesn't seems to be working. I wonder how that Wifi Router is blocking all the portable devices
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Click to collapse
the only thing I can think of is to find out what make and model router they're using and read the instruction manual/google questions like "blocking mobile devices from network MXHA-281" (MXHA-281 being the model number for example).
Are you manually adding in the SSIDs or are the devices finding the router on their own? If they're finding it on their own and can't connect, not sure what to tell you except to find out if that model router supports such features.

How do I kill mac address randomization?

Fairly generic device running a fairly stock Android 6.0 (it is rooted, though).
Every time it connects to a wireless router, it reports a new mac address (changing the last six digits).
The problem: This device never leaves its home base (it will never connect to an outside router), and I need to forward certain WAN ports from the router to this device. Of course, the router (a brand new Huawei) can only forward by mac address, not by IP address. so each new connection basically requires logging into the router and manually updating its configuration (a time consuming and error-prone process). I could live with a different mac address on each boot (since the device is seldom rebooted), but one with each wifi connection is just too much.
I understand the benefits of random mac addresses for devices that connect to a number of access points, but the implementation (with no user control) feels very Apple like ("We know what's best for you. You have to do it our way, and don't get any choice in the matter").
Is there some way of getting a static mac address when I want one (which for this device, is always)?

MAC Changes?

I'm trying to get my Moto Z2 connected by IPSec to my LAN. Part of that is I want to have it always get a known IP address.
Well the mechanism that most DHCP servers use is setting the MAC to assign a known IP. But checking the logs I find that the Z2 changes MAC every time I establish a new VPN connexion! WTH?
I mean, normally I would see this as a benefit, but I need to be able to pin down what is what so I can give it its rightful IP address, so I can find it later.
When I check interfaces with ipconfig, there are about a dozen of them, and the one getting the VPN IP is tun0.
Nogat 7.1.1, rooted. Anyone know what's going on here?
No one's getting random MACs...

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