# US 12,192,164 B2 · Processing medium access control (MAC) address in customer-premises equipment (CPE) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,164 B2 - Document ID: US12192164B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/316,378 - Filed: 2023-05-12 - Published: 2024-11-14 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2023-05-12 - Assignees: Cujo LLC - Applicants: Cujo LLC - Inventors: James Mathews; Matti Niemenmaa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192164B2 ## CPC - H04L 61/255: Maintenance or indexing of mapping tables - H04L 61/2596: Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses - H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint} - H04L 61/5038: for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN] - H04L 61/5092: by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use - H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract After a data packet containing an active medium access control (MAC) address of a connected device enters a customer-premises equipment (CPE), the active MAC address of the connected device is replaced with an earlier MAC address of the connected device. Before the data packet with the earlier MAC address exits the CPE, the earlier MAC address of the connected device is replaced with the active MAC address of the connected device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: after a data packet containing an active medium access control (MAC) address of a connected device enters a customer-premises equipment (CPE), replacing the active MAC address contained in the data packet with an earlier MAC address of the connected device that was previously stored by the CPE; providing, by the CPE, the data packet to a service executing in the CPE for processing; and subsequent to providing the data packet to the service and before the data packet exits the CPE, replacing the earlier MAC address contained in the data packet with the active MAC address. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the active MAC address with the earlier MAC address of the connected device further comprises: seizing the data packet containing the active MAC address; obtaining the active MAC address from the data packet; retrieving the earlier MAC address of the connected device from a mapping between the active MAC address and the earlier MAC address; replacing the active MAC address with the earlier MAC address in the data packet; and releasing the data packet containing the earlier MAC address for a transmission in the CPE. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the earlier MAC address with the active MAC address further comprises: seizing the data packet containing the earlier MAC address; obtaining the earlier MAC address from the data packet; retrieving the active MAC address from a mapping between the active MAC address and the earlier MAC address; replacing the earlier MAC address with the active MAC address in the data packet; and releasing the data packet containing the active MAC address for a transmission exiting the CPE. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the CPE is configured to implement a local area network (LAN) for a data communication of the connected device, and an access for the data communication to a wide area network (WAN). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the CPE is configured to implement a platform for services, and at least one service is configured to register the connected device with the earlier MAC address. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the active MAC address comprises a randomized MAC address of the connected device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the randomized MAC address is different from the earlier MAC address used for an initial registration to at least one service in the CPE. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the earlier MAC address comprises one of a vendor-embedded MAC address, or a randomized MAC address used for an initial registration to at least one service in the CPE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein internal routing tables of the CPE are configured to operate using the earlier MAC address. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the active MAC address with the earlier MAC address of the connected device further comprises: setting the earlier MAC address of the connected device in an Ethernet frame of the data packet for a transmission in the CPE. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet originates from the connected device, and the active MAC address is in a source MAC address of the data packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein replacing the earlier MAC address with the active MAC address further comprises: in response to bridging the data packet, setting the active MAC address in the source MAC address of the data packet; or in response to routing the data packet, setting a MAC address of the CPE in the source MAC address of the data packet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the MAC address of the CPE comprises a MAC address of a wide area network (WAN) interface of the CPE. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a response data packet is addressed to the connected device in response to the data packet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: after the response data packet containing a MAC address of a wide area network (WAN) interface of the CPE enters the CPE from a WAN, replacing the MAC address of the WAN interface of the CPE with the earlier MAC address in a destination MAC address of the response data packet; and before the response data packet with the earlier MAC address exits the CPE to a local area network (LAN), replacing the earlier MAC address with the active MAC address in the destination MAC address of the response data packet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to receiving the data packet containing the active MAC address, receiving, by the CPE, a previous data packet originating from the connected device, the previous data packet containing the earlier MAC address; extracting, by the CPE, the earlier MAC address from the previous data packet; and storing, by the CPE, the earlier MAC address in a data structure. ### Claim 17 A customer-premises equipment (CPE) comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processor devices coupled to the one or more memories configured to: after a data packet containing an active medium access control (MAC) address of a connected device enters the CPE, replace the active MAC address contained in the data packet with an earlier MAC address of the connected device that was previously stored by the CPE; provide the data packet to a service executing in the CPE for processing; and subsequent to providing the data packet to the service and before the data packet exits the CPE, replace the earlier MAC address contained in the data packet with the active MAC address. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The CPE of claim 17, wherein the active MAC address comprises a randomized MAC address of the connected device, and wherein the randomized MAC address is different from the earlier MAC address used for an initial registration to at least one service in the CPE. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The CPE of claim 17, wherein the earlier MAC address comprises one of a vendor-embedded MAC address, or a randomized MAC address used for an initial registration to at least one service in the CPE. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program with instructions which, when executed by a customer-premises equipment (CPE), cause the CPE to: after a data packet containing an active medium access control (MAC) address of a connected device enters the CPE, replace the active MAC address contained in the data packet with an earlier MAC address of the connected device that was previously stored by the CPE; provide, by the CPE, the data packet to a service executing in the CPE for processing; and subsequent to providing the data packet to the service and before the data packet exits the CPE, replace the earlier MAC address contained in the data packet with the active MAC address.