How do I add MAC filtering on my Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router?

MAC address filtering is part of the Advanced Configuration options (third or fouth button from the left when viewing the web paged configuration page).  Once you select the Advanced button at the top, look for the MAC filter option on the left.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact naming it uses as it has been a few years since I worked on a 2300, but I know for sure it is there.

 

A word of warning ... if you fat finger the MAC address of the computer you are doing the updates from and the router restarts, you will need to do a hard reset of the router (back to defaults) in order to get back into the configuration page.  I speak from personal experience there. :D

 

Make sure to add the MAC address for both wired and wireless network cards that will be connecting.

The User manual for the 2300 is at:

 

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/network/p57205/en/index.htm

 

In the manual go to Managing your Router > Web Based Configuration Tool > Advanced Settings > Access Control Settings.

 

Steve

Why do I have to enter the MAC address to the wireless network card??

If you enable MAC address filtering, any NIC that doesn't appear in the list will be denied access.  If you want a particular card to be able to connect then it must be in the list of allowed MAC addresses.

I understand that I must add it to the list on the computer which is attached to the router, but I guess I didn't understand when you  said that it must be added to the list on the wireless card.....

 

So, even on the laptop that I'm adding to the MAC filter list.....it has to be on listed on that same laptop's MAC list??   I thought that if I just added my laptop's MAC address into the routers config settings that was the only list I had to add it too; sorry to be redundant just trying to understand.

 

**and from what you wrote; you cannot make a mistake adding the laptop's MAC address into the router's settings or you half to completely reconfig. the router?  In other words you cannot just go back and but the correct address in if you made a mistake. 

Enabling MAC filtering without adding the MAC address will affect any computer on your network (wired or wireless).  Any changes to the wireless configuration will have no affect on the wired systems, however.

 

My recommendation is to find out the MAC address of the system you are configuring the router with and add it first.  One way to find the MAC address of an already connected computer is from the router status page (at the bottom, where it shows the connected computers and what IP addresses are assigned).

 

Just to make sure you have the info, if you open a DOS window (start > run > cmd) and run ipconfig /all you can find teh MAC address (listed as the Physical Address) for your systems.  It is a 12 character hexadecimal code.  It isn't supposed to be case-sensitive, but I don't remember if the 2300 insists on upper case letters (the A-F portion of hexadecimal numbers) or not.

If I do all of this and I goof it up can you just go back and uncheck the ENABLE MAC Access Control box and like start over....like can you really goof up wireless settings in here??  I just know if I accidentally do something wrong I won't be able to reconfigure the router......Below if from the Dell Truemobile 2300 owners manual.

 

Access Control Settings feature allows you to control which local client computer can access the network through the router. The Wireless Broadband Router by default allows any local client computer to access the network:

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

To enable access control in the router:

1. Check the Enable MAC Access Control box.
    
2. Select the appropriate Operating Type.  Grant allows client computers access to the router.  Deny restricts the access.
    
3. Enter the MAC address of the network card on the computer on which you wish to apply the above control policy.
    
4. Click Add to enter the rule to the router.
    
5. To remove an existing rule, check the "Del" checkbox next to the MAC address and click the DEL button.
    
6. Click the SUBMIT button to store the changes.
    

 

I see where I confused you.

 

The MAC address filtering is done on the router, not on the computers connecting to the router.  This is why any network adapter (wired or wireless) connecting to the router must have its MAC address added to the list of allowed adapters in order to connect.

 

If you end up with no computers allowed to connect to the router due to the MAC address filters then you will have to hard reset the router (wiping all settings and putting it back to the factory defaults) and reconfigure the router from scratch.

 

Ok great, that is what I thought!  Thank you.

 

However, do you think I will run into trouble if I accidentally do something wrong?

 

Any changes made in these wireless settings will not affect any wired computers will they?  I'm sure I can muddle my way through the wireless settings but I don't want anything to affect my direct wired computers....