invalid MAC address - networking

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Guest

I installed a new computer and use my cable modem router to obtain an IP
address. The network card is not obtaining an IP address. But when I
looked at the MAC address it was 00-00-00-00-00-00. This is invalid.

This is a new system and was just formated with windows XP Professional. I
loaded the drivers from the manufacturers website and still did not work.
There was nothing installed on this system and was built from scratch with
new parts. I did not even load windows updates or any updates. There is
absolutely no software on this system besides the OS.

Has anyone experience an invalid MAC address or is the network card damaged?

Thanks
Andrew
 
Andrew said:
I installed a new computer and use my cable modem router to obtain an IP
address. The network card is not obtaining an IP address. But when I
looked at the MAC address it was 00-00-00-00-00-00. This is invalid.
Click to expand...

Well, that's...different. What are you using to determine your NIC's MAC
address?
 
I installed a new computer and use my cable modem router to obtain an IP
address. The network card is not obtaining an IP address. But when I
looked at the MAC address it was 00-00-00-00-00-00. This is invalid.

This is a new system and was just formated with windows XP Professional. I
loaded the drivers from the manufacturers website and still did not work.
There was nothing installed on this system and was built from scratch with
new parts. I did not even load windows updates or any updates. There is
absolutely no software on this system besides the OS.

Has anyone experience an invalid MAC address or is the network card damaged?
Click to expand...

Sure, I've seen that before with an onboard NIC on a Soyo P4S Dragon
motherboard. Required a special BIOS flash or something similar to
restore it. Did you contact the manufacturer?
 
Andrew said:
I installed a new computer and use my cable modem router to obtain an
IP
address. The network card is not obtaining an IP address. But when
I
looked at the MAC address it was 00-00-00-00-00-00. This is invalid.

This is a new system and was just formated with windows XP
Professional. I
loaded the drivers from the manufacturers website and still did not
work.
There was nothing installed on this system and was built from scratch
with
new parts. I did not even load windows updates or any updates. There
is
absolutely no software on this system besides the OS.

Has anyone experience an invalid MAC address or is the network card
damaged?
Click to expand...


In Device Manager, look at the properties for the network card. One of
the advanced options is to enable an OS override of the MAC (i.e., you
can configure a software MAC that gets reported rather than use the
hardware MAC). Make sure that you are NOT using the software MAC for
your NIC (select "Not Present" for the software MAC).

The above presumes that you have a network *card* which is what you said
that you have. Onboard NICs have different problems. It if is an
onboard NIC, check that it is actually enabled in the BIOS.
 
Its an onboard NIC. The bios says it is enabled.

I am using getmac or ipconfig /all to display the MAC address.
 
In Device Manager, look at the properties for the network card. One of
the advanced options is to enable an OS override of the MAC (i.e., you
can configure a software MAC that gets reported rather than use the
hardware MAC). Make sure that you are NOT using the software MAC for
your NIC (select "Not Present" for the software MAC).

what do I enter for the software MAC? where can I find it?

Andrew
 
Andrew said:
In Device Manager, look at the properties for the network card. One
of
the advanced options is to enable an OS override of the MAC (i.e.,
you
can configure a software MAC that gets reported rather than use the
hardware MAC). Make sure that you are NOT using the software MAC
for
your NIC (select "Not Present" for the software MAC).

what do I enter for the software MAC? where can I find it?

Andrew
Click to expand...


As to where to configure the software MAC, below is a synopsis of my
prior post:

- Device Manager.
- Network device, properties.
- Advanced options.
- MAC or network address.

Since you have an onboard NIC, have you actually installed the chipset
driver package for your motherboard? Go to the motherboard maker's web
site, download their driver package for your model, and install it.
Could be that you never added the drivers needed to support the chipset
on your motherboard.
 
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