New Router problems

[Anonymous User]

I have just taken on another internet provider and i am now changing the details for the TV. So, its detected my new router, which is good, i then put in my passwor and a message comes up saying "Router blocking unknown MAC address (add MAC Address)". What is this and how/where do i add it? Thanks in advance for your help. Lianne

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like your router has MAC access control turned on (although routers don't usually have this turned on by default so it would be something you or someone else in the house has done). If this is the case, you'd need to log into your router (usually by typing http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1 into a web-browser and entering the username and password, sometimes these are listed on a sticker on the router, if not you'd need to refer to the manual) and then either disabling MAC access control or entering the MAC address of the NOW TV box (found on the sticker on the bottom of the box) into the relevant section of the router's interface.

However if if the router is straight out of the box and no-one has messed with it, it could just be the NOW TV box misinterpreting things - with the box powered up, try pushing a pin into the reset hole at the back and hold in until it restarts itself, then try and set it up again.

[Anonymous User]

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for the information. So I found where I needed to change the MAC address and having done that its somehow disabled my WiFi and now I cant reconnect. When I click on the SSID to connect it is not asking me for my password. Any ideas? Been trying to figure this out for 2 hrs. I turned it all off and started again but still cant get the WiFi back 😞

Lianne

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

Do you mean the NOW TV box isn't seeing the wifi? Try pushing a pin in the reset hole at the back and holding it there until the box restarts itself. That will set it back to factory defaults and you can try again. If you still get problems connecting I,d recommend contacting your broadband provider (assuming the router you are using is the one provided by them) so they can help you troubleshoot - like I say if MAC access control  is activated it's not something that usually happens by default but they can talk you through best how to make sure the NOW TV box is added correctly.

[Anonymous User]

I really dont know what I had done wrong last night but it was my laptop I couldnt get the wifi on. After an hour on the phone with my IT friend and a further 3 hours later I managed to get the wifi back on my laptop. I still cant use the NOW box via wifif but it is working with an ethernet cable so I'm just going to leave it like that.. but thank you for your help with this.. Lianne

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

Glad you got sorted via the Ethernet cable. If you don't mind me asking, which broadband provider and router are you using?

[Anonymous User]

Hi Andy, I'm with POP Telecom and the router is Zyxel.

(ukbobboy) When I try change the settings on the NOW TV, I put in the new router security pin, it fails, and that MAC address message appears. Now it gives me the MAC address I should use, and then when I look on the routers system settings the MAC address I saw there is different and when I tried to change it thats when I lost the wifi signal. Having eventually reset the router I got the wifif back, so to avoid further hassle I'm just going to use the cable.. all is good 🙂

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User @Andy

Hi TL

Just to let you know, a MAC (Media Access Control) address is a 12 digit number set out in the following manner -  (xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx )  where "x" is any number between 0 - 9 and "x" is also any digit between a -f.

Every piece of computer equipment that can connect to the Internet and/or communicate with other Internet enabled equipment has it's own unique MAC address.

Also like @Andy, I have never heard of a router blocking a MAC address, therefore you must contact your ISP, or router supplier, to find out what is going on.

UK Bob