i226-v issue with eeupdate

[s4]

I'm using EEUpdate to update my Intel(R) i226-v ethernet adapter.
I'm using this command eeupdatew64e.exe /nic=1 /mac=<mac address>

It would say:
:1 Updating MAC Address to <mac>...Done...
:1 Updating Checksum and CRC...Done...

Upon restarting my pc and checking my mac address, it would be un-updated.
I did eeupdatew64e.exe /nic=1 /mac_dump

The mac address would still be the original mac address instead of being the updated one I had assigned to it earlier.

I tried doing eeupdatew64e.exe /nic=1 /a macfile
it would read the mac address

It would say:
:1 Updating MAC Address to <mac>...Done...
:1 Updating Checksum and CRC...Done...

but the mac address would still be the original one not the one I had assigned.

Tried reinstalling windows, deleting drivers from sys32, then reinstalling them, nothing seemed to work.

[Diego_INTEL]

Hello @s4,

Thank you for contacting Intel Embedded Community.

Once the MAC address in any Intel® Ethernet Controller I226 (LM/ V/ IT) has been changed to an address with a unique value, can't be changed again even with EEupdate, due that the NVM gets protected for security reasons.

Best regards,

@Diego_INTEL 

[MarShaLL22]

Why wasn't that fact written about anywhere?

[Diego_INTEL]

Hello @MarShaLL22,

Thank you for contacting Intel Embedded Community.

It is mentioned in the document #632906 - Intel ® Ethernet Controller I225/ I226 TA001: FW Authentication, from July 2022.

"From I225 NVM version 1.53 and beyond version and all I226 NVM versions, Intel introduces new NVM security flow. When a default MAC address 00-A0-C9-00-00-00 in NVM is updated to a unique value, NVM will be protected immediately after power cycle (i.e. S0 -> G3 (AC OFF) -> S0)."

Best regards,

@Diego_INTEL