Once a MAC, always a MAC?

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1

I've just caught my problem-child Google Home Mini changing its MAC. This is actually the 2nd time I've caught it. The first time I thought I must be crazy mistaken.

No wonder Chromecast Integration app has been locking up on this particular TTS speaker.

2

You're telling me your Mini is changing it's hardware address? That's disturbing.

3

Sounds like MAC spoofing, but why?

4

Is it possible you have 2 devices statically assigned to the same IP, or one static in the DHCP pool range or something like that?

5

Yep! Last 6 characters remain the same but the first 6 changed. I picked it up while checking DHCP reservations.

6

Think it might have flipped between 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless? I've definitely seen devices flip MAC before when that happened. Still weird though.

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7

I don't think so, all I've done is set the dhcp reservations for the HE itself and 2 GHMs. One GHM has performed with only a rare problem. The second one has had a constant problem with dropping out.

8

Ah, that makes sense to me, different radios. Maybe not so nefarious.

9

I disabled 5ghz on this router. I believe I did that prior to adding the G Minis. I do have two TP-Link AC750 range extenders on the network.

10

That might not be it in this case. It was just a thought since I've seen it before.

11

This smells of the TP-Link extender, but I'm an IP novice. 4 of the 6 'new' IP numbers are the same as one of the extenders.

1 Like
12

Smelling stronger:

Blockquote Note: RE200 works in Proxy Mode by default.

Part A: If Range Extender is working on Proxy Mode

1. The specialness of Proxy Mode :

In Proxy Mode, Range Extender will replace each of its clients’ MAC address with a virtual MAC address generated automatically by Range Extender. Thus the router will take the virtual MAC address of the clients as their real MAC address

13

Was just about to post this.
There is a WDS mode that keeps the MAC of the clients. Don't know what the downside would be though.

14

Are your 2.4ghz and 5ghz SSIDs the same? I specifically have them different so I can control which one they are joined to. No sense in a GHMini tying up my 5ghz bandwidth when all it's doing is notifications or playing podcasts.