Resetting Router Mac Address?

This is about an IP address issue, but as I already know the solution involves the mac address of my router, I figured I'd post it in hardware.

Long story short...I was banned from a forum by my IP. It was a political forum where an admin and I got into a heated debate, when he didn't agree, he gave me the ban hammer. Now, I didn't really care as this was just a site I was passing through and occupied mostly by bigoted a-holes...but it did give me a chance to practice learning how to work around an IP ban. I don't intent to go back and troll them mind you, as I have no desire to do that, plus they would just reban me anyway. I'd like to use this as a learning experience on working with mac and IP addresses.

So, in my research, I found out the cable companies dirty little secret. The IP address they assign is based on the mac address of the hardware connected. So, by discounting the router and connecting directly to the PC, it read a new mac address, thus assigning a new IP address, thus allowing me to once again access the site.

However, here is where it gets a bit trickier. When I reconnected the router, it must have reverted back to the old IP, as I'm still banned when connecting this way (but again, I'm not by removing the router). I'm assuming my ISP is storing the IP address that is associated with that particular mac address of my router.

Here's my question:

How can I reset the mac address of my Linksys WRT54GL router, so the ISP will see it as a new piece of hardware, assign me a new IP address with the router connected?

 

MAC addresses are hard coded into devices and cannot be changed.

 

I found this on Helium.

 

Just move on and find another forum. Really it is one side of the story about what went on in that discussion, and personally I would just let it go. There are plenty of other public & private forums out there, that you can get into political discussions on.

Personally if it became that heated, that you basically kept poking the mod with a Red hot iron, it does not surprise me that you are banned from there.

 

But your just making as assumption here. It's also incorrect.

However, that's kind of missing the point in the context of this thread. I'm glad I've had this opportunity to learn more about mac and IP addresses, so the forum or the circumstances are irrelevant.

UPDATE:

Big thanks to mdonah. The Mac addresses can infact be changed using this method, and as I had assumed all along, it pulled down a new IP from my ISP, working around the ban. Of course, I could care less about accessing the site, but this was a great learning experience.

 

Heres the thing, yes we could help ya, but many times its hard to learn actual intent. So many here choose to just not help people with questionable issues. I know for a matter of fact its why i didn't post, because people may thing use this for "evil" purposes.

 

I thought along the same lines as Brownizs and Colemanguy but, that was AFTER I had posted the link. I hope it's not an action I'm going to regret.

 

If the OP wants to keep poking the Snake pit with a stick, they deserve to be bit. I would not be surprised, if they cause a whole block of IP's for their ISP to be blocked, causing other users that have not stirred up the snake pit (ie pissed off the mod), or end up getting a Cease & Desist from a process server for violating the agreement of the site.

Personally if you get to the point that you cannot agree to disagree, you have to move on and put these things behind you. Mods and site owners have the right to protect their interest (ie website), and also the right to deny parties access to their personal property if they deem so.

Same reason people block certain people from contact on Facebook. If they do not agree with the person, or feel harassed, they have every right to stop you from contacting them. There are those of course that refuse to just let things go, and continue to contact the other party, or even on websites when banned, continue to go there through other methods, why who knows, but it is obvious that the OP is not ready to let go, and still has a stone to grind with the mod.

 

This is a ridiculous assumption. All those who made similar statements above to the extent of "the OP probably got what he deserved" are based on assumptions, and incorrect assumptions at that.

Your jumping to the conclusion that just because a moderate HAD the power to ban me, they were also in the right in doing so. One does not always follow the other, this case being a perfect example. Besides, as stated repeatedly above, trolling is not my thing. I took this as an opportunity to learn something, plain and simple.

Anyway, I respect those knowledgeable here on the forums who always offer helpful advice when those in need. I've found this forum to be a valuable resource over the years, and I'm sure I will continue to do so.

 

They have every right to ban you if you go against the rules, or even argue with them which would also violate the TOS of the site.

Even here at MG, people have been banned for little stuff, arguing with the mod's/owners, or even getting into politics.

Again, you are/were their guest on their site, now you are being an intruder by going around their rules and attempting to not only risk getting yourself in more trouble, but also could as I stated before, get a Cease & Desist from the owners by process server, or through your ISP, plus risk being disconnected as a customer from your ISP, but also placing at risk that the owners of the site can end up blocking all blocks of IP's that your ISP uses.

I am sorry if you think that it is okay to break rules to get around a reason why the site banned you, but as far as I am concerned, this discussion is over, and this thread now needs to be locked.

End of discussion.

 

Wow, I'll bet if I had that card to pull as an admin on a forum in order to make my point the last one, I bet I'd win more arguments as well. It's just that scene in "The Simpsons" movie where Homer tramps out in the snow yelling "I have spoken" keeps playing in my mind. :-D

Anyway, I hear your point and I disagree. That's really the end of the discussion. I think taking things to such as an extreme is all together unnecessary and locking a civil discussion where disagreements occure is kind of the whole point to this thread in the first place. But hey, like I said, I respect the forum. So what ever the mods want.

 

If that ever happens again, use a VPN.

 

Yes, I have used a VPN before, but I'm not a big fan. They seem to wreak havoc on my setup here for some reason.

Plus, using a VPN is treating the symptom and not the cause. I legitimately wanted to learn something here.