How to Manually Change a PSP Mac Address

by Andrew Mikael
The PSP's MAC address defines the device on a network.

The PSP's MAC address defines the device on a network.

playing video games image by Lisa Turay from Fotolia.com

Each PSP comes with a unique MAC address for network identification stored in its wireless card. While the default system settings do not allow users to modify the MAC address, the third-party PSP MAC Address Changer utility can grant users access to the MAC address for manually changing it to any valid value. You can alter the MAC address to match a router's filter settings or for additional security and anonymity while browsing. The program only works with PSPs running the Open Edition custom firmware.

Step 1

Download the PSP MAC Address Changer files to a computer's hard drive. Extract the downloaded RAR file to view the contents. Depending on your operating system, you may need a third party extraction utility such as Zipeg, WinRAR or 7-Zip to work with RAR files.

Step 2

Connect the PSP to the computer using the included USB cable. Turn the PSP on and highlight the "Settings" section of the main menu. Select "USB Connection." The PSP will appear as an external drive on the desktop of a Mac OS X computer, or in the "Computer" section of Windows.

Step 3

Open the extracted files and double click the "kxploit" folder to open it. Open the PSP's memory in a separate window, and double-click the "PSP" folder in the root directory.

Step 4

Drag both the folders from the "kxploit" folder into the "PSP/GAME" folder on the console's memory. Press "Circle" on the PSP to cancel USB mode.

Step 5

Open the "Game" menu on the PSP and highlight "PSP MAC Address Changer." Press "X" to run the program. Press "X" again when the program has started to dump the current MAC address, and wait for the process to finish and the PSP to restart.

Step 6

Reactivate USB mode from the PSP's "Settings" menu. Open the PSP's memory on the computer and open the "macid.bin" file in the root directory. You will need a hex editor to view the file correctly. Several hex editor are available as free downloads, including HxD, Hex Workshop and HexEdit.

Step 7

Change the first 12 digits of the hex file to the desired MAC address. When first opened, these digits should be the only digits with non-zero values. Since the file uses the hex format, it will accept numbers from zero to nine and letters from A to F. Do not change any other values in the file, as this may inadvertently damage the PSP's functionality. Save the file with the new values.

Step 8

Press "Circle" on the PSP to exit USB mode, and re-launch the PSP MAC Address Changer from the "Game" menu. Hold "Circle" and the left trigger to accept the new address. The PSP will restart.

Step 9

View the new MAC address by highlighting "Settings" from the main menu and opening "System Settings." Select "System Information" to view the new address.

Warning

  • Since running custom firmware on a PSP system voids its warranty, Sony will not support a system running the MAC Address Changer. Homebrew applications carry no guarantee of correct functionality, and may adversely affect the system, especially if run incorrectly.

About the Author

Andrew Mikael began writing in 2010. His articles appear on various websites, where he specializes in media and related technology. Mikael has a Bachelor of Arts in film from Montana State University.

Photo Credits

  • playing video games image by Lisa Turay from Fotolia.com