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Can't connect HomePod to my network

paty

paty

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 29, 2010
2
1
Hi,

I just received my HomePod device and I cannot connect it to the network as I require to determine its MAC address (network address) in order to add it as trusted device to the network first.

I am offered to connect either by a WPA2 Enterprise (802.1x) or a not encrypted network. However, in both cases, the MAC address has to be first determined and supplied to a web form to enable the device any access.

As for now, I called Apple support and received the answer that other people have a similar setup and they do not (yet) know how to determine the MAC address. Until then, I am stuck with a HomePod unable to perform the setup process.

Does anyone of you know how to determine the MAC address?

What I tried so far:
1) AirPort Utility app on mac and iOS: do not show the HomePod device.
2) KisMac app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.
3) Wireless diagnostics app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.

Cheers from the UK
 
Mine shows up in Debookee, but its connected to my network so I would expect it to show.

Not sure what router you are using, can't you disable the feature to require a mac address, connect it to the network, take note of the address, re-enable the feature and connect it as a trusted device?
If you disconnect from the big bad outside world wide web while you do it, you'll be perfectly safe.

Or take it to a friends house connect it there, login to the router, note the mac address down for you to enter when back on your own network.
 
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paty said:
Hi,

I just received my HomePod device and I cannot connect it to the network as I require to determine its MAC address (network address) in order to add it as trusted device to the network first.

I am offered to connect either by a WPA2 Enterprise (802.1x) or a not encrypted network. However, in both cases, the MAC address has to be first determined and supplied to a web form to enable the device any access.

As for now, I called Apple support and received the answer that other people have a similar setup and they do not (yet) know how to determine the MAC address. Until then, I am stuck with a HomePod unable to perform the setup process.

Does anyone of you know how to determine the MAC address?

What I tried so far:
1) AirPort Utility app on mac and iOS: do not show the HomePod device.
2) KisMac app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.
3) Wireless diagnostics app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.

Cheers from the UK
Click to expand...

Connect it to another network that doesn't block MAC addresses and find the address in the DCHP table on this other networks router?
 
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paty said:
Hi,

I just received my HomePod device and I cannot connect it to the network as I require to determine its MAC address (network address) in order to add it as trusted device to the network first.

I am offered to connect either by a WPA2 Enterprise (802.1x) or a not encrypted network. However, in both cases, the MAC address has to be first determined and supplied to a web form to enable the device any access.

As for now, I called Apple support and received the answer that other people have a similar setup and they do not (yet) know how to determine the MAC address. Until then, I am stuck with a HomePod unable to perform the setup process.

Does anyone of you know how to determine the MAC address?

What I tried so far:
1) AirPort Utility app on mac and iOS: do not show the HomePod device.
2) KisMac app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.
3) Wireless diagnostics app on mac: does not show the HomePod device.

Cheers from the UK
Click to expand...

Really? Almost sounds like they never tested it outside the lab...

I would fire up airdump-ng for the MAC address https://www.aircrack-ng.org/install.html
 
Hi Zari,

thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I have no control over this network and thus cannot disable the mac address requirement.

Thanks for the hint with Debookee. I am not sure which device in the list is the homepod as there are many. However, I can exclude all of them as they are named like the network service here and thus do not represent the homepod for sure.

There are 2 listed that have a name that may represent the homepod but I am not sure, can you confirm that the homepod is named similarly to the following:
DIRECT-WXC48x Series
DIRECT-hB-VIErA_txes400b

Cheers
[doublepost=1518190374][/doublepost]
chabig said:
The MAC address is probably on the box label.
Click to expand...
That's what I expected and where I looked first. However, this is not the case with the homepod package. There is indeed no MAC address on the label as we know has been on previously purchased apple devices.
 
paty said:
Unfortunately, I have no control over this network and thus cannot disable the mac address requirement.
Click to expand...
Yet you are able to add MAC addresses to the trusted device list?

So...take it to any open network and set it up, perhaps at your own home. When it's on your home network, you can get the MAC address, which never changes. Then you can take it back to your controlled network.
 
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paty said:
Thanks for the hint with Debookee. I am not sure which device in the list is the homepod as there are many. However, I can exclude all of them as they are named like the network service here and thus do not represent the homepod for sure.

There are 2 listed that have a name that may represent the homepod but I am not sure, can you confirm that the homepod is named similarly to the following:
DIRECT-WXC48x Series
DIRECT-hB-VIErA_txes400b

Cheers
Click to expand...

One of those is a Panasonic Viera TV, not sure what the other one is.
On Debookee, the homepod is identified by the room name I've assigned it, so it's easy to spot once connected to the network.
 
  1. Go to Terminal, use command line "arp -an" to get a list of current Mac Address on your network
  2. Turn off access control to your network
  3. Set up HomePod on your now open network
  4. Go back to a new Terminal and repeat "arp -an", then compare with the prior output to find the HomePod MAC address
  5. Add HomePod MAC Address to your network, and restart access control
This worked for me, btw...
 
How can you check which wifi router your HomePod is connected to, i have three and just wondered how to check which one it is using.
 
I’m getting incompatible WiFi won’t connect. I have a starry WiFi that’s excellent. This thing is crap
 
download Wireshark on your laptop/desktop and just run an open capture. you should be able to grab the MAC address when it arps out on the network. you should do this as you plug it in for easier identification
 
pitt1717 said:
download Wireshark on your laptop/desktop and just run an open capture. you should be able to grab the MAC address when it arps out on the network. you should do this as you plug it in for easier identification
Click to expand...
The problem is that initial setup is done over Bluetooth so the HomePod won’t start broadcasting Wi-Fi until it is successfully set up. So a catch 22.

I helped a friend with this. All they had was a captive Wi-Fi network (hence the need for the MAC address), a MacBook, and an iPhone. Conventional methods failed. In the end I had to use personal hotspot on the iPhone, connected to the MacBook to broadcast a temporary network via internet sharing, set up the HomePod on this temporary network using the same iPhone, and then run arp in terminal to get the MAC.
 
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