Why TP-Link Archer C5 router can't restablish without mac cloning

Basically, it seems that reference implies Comcast, even though they might not even know it themselves, is requiring *two* MAC addresses for authentication:

1. The MAC address of the docsis3 Costco cable modem, and,
2. Some other MAC address (which seems to be the router, by default).

Had I known that when we set it up, I would have made the router DE:AD:BE:EF:CA:FE, which at least I can remember.

There was one disturbing sentence in your reference:

"some ISPs have started to recognize the MAC addresses of popular routers and disconnect service if a router is detected."

A router is a requirement, not an option; so if they are doing that, they stink as ISPs.

Thank you for that explanation. It had never occurred to me that the ISP (in this case, Comcast), was requiring, for authentication, *two* MAC addresses!

Apparently the second MAC address is that of the router because I looked up the OIC which shows it to be a TP-Link MAC address:

So, the cable company is *indiscriminate* in that they'll take *any* Mac address, probably set up at the time we started the service.

Sheesh. Why didn't they just tell me this?

replying to Ken Cito, Gab wrote: I have same problem in Canada, work at an ISP which is also my cable provider, ONLY ARCHER C5 have that problem, will try to make a firmware update on it