Spoofing Ethernet MAC address in Win2000

[Fishbulb]

Hello all.

I've been searching all over the net for this info, but can't find it, so here goes...

I want to change my Ethernet NIC cards' MAC address in Win2000. I don't need to actually change the address stored in the NIC card flash, I just need Win2000 to see and use a new value temporarily. This question has been asked many, many times over the years, but none of the newsgroup threads (through a "Google Groups" search) say how to do it in Win2000. I have successfully done this in Win98 with a registry mod, and have seen an equivalent description for NT. But the 98 and NT procedures don't work for 2000.

I am taking a business trip very soon and want to temporarily put some compiler tools on a work laptop, but the tools are locked to a single Win98 desktop box in my office. The lock appears to be only keyed on the NIC card MAC address. I know I should ask the tools vendor for a new license, but I'm afraid the turnaround won't be fast enough. As a last resort I can probably put Win98 on the laptop, but it's already got 2000 and would like to avoid the hassle.

Any help would be appreciated. This is killing me. It's GOT to be possible.

[TC]

I recall hearing somewhere that it's very difficult if not impossible to do in win2k. Could you not move the files from the machine at work to your system with a null modem cable, or add another nic and use a crossover cable temporarily? I take it the system at work is part of a VLAN assigned by mac addy?

[Fishbulb]

I can put the tools on the Win2000 laptop no problem (we've got the full install CDs). But everytime you run the tools they do a license check (using the FLEXlm system). There is a key file that is plain-text that has the ethernet MAC address in it. But there is some encoded info also in that file, because simply changing the MAC address in the file (on the laptop) causes a license error saying the license file is corrupted or something.

The key file came from the tools vendor after we sent them the MAC address of the PC we wanted to install the tools on (I believe this is the only bit of identifying information we had to supply). That's why I think simply "faking-out" the MAC address on the laptop will work. I have no intention of ever putting the laptop on the company network at the same time as the "real" PC, so duplicate MAC addresses aren't a problem.

If this isn't possible in Win2000, it would explain why I haven't been able to find the info on how to mod the registry. There have been some posts saying it was possible (without actually saying how), but this is the first time I heard it may not be possible. Bummer. Anyone else have an idea?

- Fish

[Mystikal]

You can clone your mac address with a linksys router, wich will change your ip address.