Migration Authorisation Code (MAC)

sasparillo

I've already been given one dud MAC code by my ISP which has now sent me another slightly different one. Only thing: from what I can find on the net all MACs should start with FTIP or BBIP. But my code starts with BBDS. Is this another dud or can there be more combinations?

Madasafish_Customer_Care

Hello Sasparillo,

Who is your ISP?

If they're an ISP that provides you service over a BT Phone line the MAC key will always follow a similar format and will look something like this: FTIP12345678/XY32Z. The beginning of the code will always start with FTIP of BBIP then followed by six or eight digits, slash (/) and five more digits which can either be letters or numbers.

Kind regards,
Samara

Antagony

sasparillo wrote:

from what I can find on the net all MACs should start with FTIP or BBIP. But my code starts with BBDS. Is this another dud or can there be more combinations?

No, it isn't necessarily another dud; my MAC code began with BBDS and has been accepted and passed by my new ISP. I believe the DS part simply means that your current connection is DataStream, as opposed to the much more common IPStream.

Don't ask me what the differences are, except to say that the DataStream products - Tiscali, Bulldog etc. - appear to garner more complaints. You'r MAC should still be accepted by companies supplying IPStream products though.

normanmark

The problem that happens is the time from when ISP's provisioning units generate the MAC code to the time where the customer recieves it & the other ISP's process it.

MAC codes only have a 30 day expiry period on them, so if between your old ISP issuing it & your new one processing is longer than that period then it'll just come back to your new ISP saying it isnt valid.

sasparillo

Hi Normanmark,

My last code was definitely used within the time period, as the quicker I could get away from my current (non) provider, the better.

Thanks for the information everybody Hope it's been helpful for others as well.

Rex_Mundi

This wouldn't be the first case of E7 issuing an invalid MAC.

I've seen a few cases of users on the BBUK network (Netservices) being given MACs that didn't work. I've also seen a couple of people surprised to find that E7 had switched them from IPStream to DataStream which can cause problems when signing up to a new ISP.

Good luck with your second MAC.

I don't blame you for wanting to get out of this sinking ship of a company as soon as you can.