TP-Link Archer C6U v.1 with openwrt-23.05.0 doesn't show MAC to ISP

Installing and Using OpenWrt
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I have TP-Link Archer C6U v.1 (RU). I thought EU firmware will flash quite nicely, as my experience flashing custom ROMs on Xiaomi phones suggests.

I followed instructions.

Router out of the box, didn’t connect it to Internet. I used supplied Ethernet cable to connect router to LAN port of my laptop.

I followed "OEM easy installation".

OpenWrt 23.05.2 flashed successfully.

After reboot, I’m able to login into LuCi. Everything seems to be working fine.

But it doesn’t: I can’t get Internet access. :smirk:

My ISP authorizes user by MAC address. So I called my ISP to notify about change of my MAC address. ISP tech support tried to detect my MAC address but said he can’t see it. We tried: rebooting, connecting cable into LAN ports, but with same result: my router doesn’t show it’s MAC address to ISP. :frowning_face:

But I can see WAN MAC address in LuCi in Device settings and Interface settings!

Then I’ve switched back to OEM firmware. I bricked my device using LuCi firmware update. But was able to recover it following instructions on TP-Link website.

Then I tried to connect to Internet. Called my ISP to inform about changed MAC address. While my router was on stock firmware, ISP was able to detect MAC address.

However I was unable to connect to Internet as it takes about 10 minutes for ISP’s software to process MAC change and authorize access.

So I immediately disconnected from WAN and again flashed OpenWrt, this time OpenWrt 23.05.0. But with same result. :weary:

So my router is now flashed with OpenWrt 23.05.0. I can log into LuCi. ISP doesn’t see my router’s MAC address. And I’m here asking for help.

Help, please?

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My two cents:

  • Your ISP will not "see" any MAC address, unless you configure a client (DHCP, PPPoE, ...) on the router. Did you do that?
  • You can configure OpenWrt to clone the MAC address from your old router, so you do not even have to call your ISP.
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Thank you for reply.
I went through all menu entries of LuCi menu trying to see what and where should I type to make it work.
Everything was already pre-set up properly. DHCP was in "get all automatically" and that's exactly what is required by ISP.

I also did copy MAC address known to ISP to corresponding field of "interface address". To avoid calling ISP and asking him to change my known MAC.
It didn't help.

Only then I left all setting to default and called ISP for them to change MAC address to actual MAC of my router.

However, I agree that maybe some setting had to be set properly.
Could you please be more specific and instruct me how exactly should I have set up DHCP?
My ISP requires it to be "get all automatically".

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Hi DC0 and eduperez,

Please be advised that I have flashed my TL-WR1043ND ver2.1 with 23.05.0. I confirm that have successfully got an IP from my ISP with default settings, i.d. DHCP client. So, this does not appear to be a OpenWrt 23.05.0 issue. Another point was that I could not find where to clone a MAC if required. Sorry, cannot attached a screenshot due to being a new user.

I am not sure whether this setting has been moved from the advances options, and it available elsewhere. Anyway, I have not found it at all in Luci.

I checked another router with OpenWrt Chaos Calmer 15.05.1 installed on, and I found the MAC cloning option in its place.

Does anyone has any comments or suggestions on this matter? I would appreciate if you could shed some light on it. Thanks.

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Hello! I had a very similar problem to yours. I posted a solution in this post:

Hint: 100Mbps vs. 1Gbps auto-negotiation bug.

Good luck!

1 Like
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Thank you very much! :handshake:
This seems to be my problem! I know for a fact that my Ethernet cable is also only 4 wire. Other 4 wires are used by another ISP :grinning:

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