Authentication added without my knowledge?

[Mass Pandemic.3517]

So i had to replace my broken xfinity/comcast router 2 days ago and tried to log on to gw2 and it hit me with an authenticaton prompt which i never saw before that i can remember i dont remember enabling this or even asking for it be enabled. If i did use it im pretty sure whatever phone i had at the time is long gone because the passed few years ive gone through quite a few upgrades and carrier changes. This sucks because i had some vacation days to burn i used one to be able to play the new update today so has anyone had the authenticator enabled without them knowing or is it possible i just dont remember enabling it ? I submitted a ticket but i still havent heard back from them and saw here that some people have been waiting 2 weeks for customer service to get back to them.

I know there was alot of rambling there im lookin for advice and just wondering if anyone has had the authenticator added without them knowing maybe its a default config or something and i didnt realize. Anyways really looking forward to being able to get in game with you all hopefully soon i NEED that new mount lol arenanet has done such a good job with the mounts added so far.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Email Authentication is automatically enabled; 2FA is player-added. I'm not sure which you are referring to.You would not be able to play the new content, so far, anyway, as it is not working.

Good luck.

[DrakoRoma.4167]

Every cable modem has a unique identification (MAC Address) so the network can assign its own number to send information to. This is so that a faulty piece of hardware (e.g. modem / router) can be replaced while the network still has their own set of numbers to use without having to obtain more. When a cable servicer changes the hardware, they can assign their old number for you to a new MAC Address, but that isn't always done or sometimse isn't possible.

I suspect that your provider has assigned a new number to you, and on ANet's side they're seeing your account coming from a different number, which can indicate an account is being accessed from somewhere other than normal. That's when you would receive a request for E-Mail verification to Authorize a new Network. (A part of a network, in this case, however ANet can't necessarily tell from their end.)

[Steve The Cynic.3217]

@"DrakoRoma.4167" said:Every cable modem has a unique identification (MAC Address) so the network can assign its own number to send information to. This is so that a faulty piece of hardware (e.g. modem / router) can be replaced while the network still has their own set of numbers to use without having to obtain more. When a cable servicer changes the hardware, they can assign their old number for you to a new MAC Address, but that isn't always done or sometimse isn't possible.

The authentication stuff is absolutely NOT based on MAC addresses. MAC addresses, although they are meant to be globally unique, are not used outside a single network link. Devices on other links do not see them. (There are also network technologies that don't even use MAC addresses, and a lot of links in the core of the Internet are like that, but so are the various kinds of DSL and fibre internet service connections.)

What changed was the IP address assigned to the modem/router by the service provider. Most service providers will provide a stable IP address as long as the router stays "up" and connected, but each time the router restarts and any time it's replaced, and also if you unplug the "upstream" cable/fibre from it and then replug it, the service provider will probably assign a different IP address.

But an "IP address" is not a "MAC address". IP addresses have a sort of "structure" to them that is based on geography, which allows packets to be routed by their destination address. There is a structure in MAC addresses, but it is based on the brand and serial number (crudely speaking) of the network interface, and is therefore useless for routing packets around the Internet. (It would be rather like saying "I want to send this snail-mail letter to the 423rd house that Brand X house-builders built." where Brand X built houses everywhere. Where, geographically, is their 423rd one?)

Oh, and a cable modem/router will in fact have TWO different MAC addresses, one for the side where you plug in your computer(s) and one for the side that connects to the Internet. The Internet side of a fibre box or an xDSL box does not have a MAC address (see note above about other network technologies).

[ShiningSquirrel.3751]

@Steve The Cynic.3217 said:

@"DrakoRoma.4167" said:Every cable modem has a unique identification (MAC Address) so the network can assign its own number to send information to. This is so that a faulty piece of hardware (e.g. modem / router) can be replaced while the network still has their own set of numbers to use without having to obtain more. When a cable servicer changes the hardware, they can assign their old number for you to a new MAC Address, but that isn't always done or sometimse isn't possible.

The authentication stuff is absolutely NOT based on MAC addresses. MAC addresses, although they

are

meant to be globally unique, are not used outside a single network

link

. Devices on other links do not see them. (There are also network technologies that don't even

use

MAC addresses, and a lot of links in the core of the Internet are like that, but so are the various kinds of DSL and fibre internet service connections.)

What changed was the

IP

address assigned to the modem/router by the service provider. Most service providers will provide a stable IP address as long as the router stays "up" and connected, but each time the router restarts and any time it's replaced, and also if you unplug the "upstream" cable/fibre from it and then replug it, the service provider will probably assign a different IP address.

But an "IP address" is not a "MAC address". IP addresses have a sort of "structure" to them that is based on geography, which allows packets to be routed by their destination address. There

is

a structure in MAC addresses, but it is based on the brand and serial number (crudely speaking) of the network interface, and is therefore useless for routing packets around the Internet. (It would be rather like saying "I want to send this snail-mail letter to the 423rd house that Brand X house-builders built." where Brand X built houses

everywhere

. Where, geographically, is their 423rd one?)

Oh, and a cable modem/router will in fact have

TWO

different MAC addresses, one for the side where you plug in your computer(s) and one for the side that connects to the Internet. The Internet side of a fibre box or an xDSL box does not have a MAC address (see note above about other network technologies).

Actually Steve if you read his response carefully, that is exactly what DrakoRoma.4167 said. He just used the term "number" instead of "IP Address".

[Mass Pandemic.3517]

Sorry ive been busy with work havent been able to get to check the post, im good with computers but never really messed with the advanced network settings stuff so do you think theres possibly a way i would be able to do it myself to get my old whatever back to not need to have to wait for support i still havent heard back from them and if i can help myself and lessen their burden it would be a win win.

[ShiningSquirrel.3751]

@Mass Pandemic.3517 said:Sorry ive been busy with work havent been able to get to check the post, im good with computers but never really messed with the advanced network settings stuff so do you think theres possibly a way i would be able to do it myself to get my old whatever back to not need to have to wait for support i still havent heard back from them and if i can help myself and lessen their burden it would be a win win.

There is no way to get your old IP address back, that is handled by your ISPs DNS servers and there is a very good chance it's already been assigned to another customer. DId you receive an email asking you to verify the connection? Last time I remember having to do that was just clicking on a link in an email to verify it was me.

[Mass Pandemic.3517]

You mean an email from my ISP? The way this router worked for me this time was i hooked it up and eventually a webpage opened that i had to put in some account info and then it was done with.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

No, an authentication email from ArenaNet. That's email authentication; you must use either email authentication or 2F Authentication (something like WinAuth or use SMS Authentication).

[Mass Pandemic.3517]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:No, an authentication email from ArenaNet. That's email authentication; you must use either email authentication or 2F Authentication (something like WinAuth or use SMS Authentication).

Yeah i looked through all of my emails new and old from either arenanet and guild wars 2 searches and nothing for connection verification only thing anywhere close to that is when i first opened this account i had to verify the e-mail. Im pretty sure it's saying i have mobile authenticator enabled , but im like about 100% positive i never used it for gw2 or enabled it , i would have taken the email one personally. Just really sucks like 2 days before the update my old xfinity router kicked the bucket and i had to replace it , if i had known this could have been a possible thing that would have happened i would have taken the necessary precautions to try and avoid it. Still haven't gotten a word back from support and its about to be the weekend so not sure what else i can do at this point definitely unfortunate about how slow their customer service seems to be , but i understand anet doesn't have the resources some other companies do. It does however make me value blizzards customer service for sure at least they have a phone option to be able to get almost immediate help if you're willing to wait on hold .