11 ms·

"MAC addresses can be changed – nearly all ethernet controllers and some wireless chipsets support changing the MAC address" Just to be clear. Windows 10, Mac

"MAC addresses can be changed – nearly all ethernet controllers and some wireless chipsets support changing the MAC address" Just to be clear. Windows 10, MacOS and Ubuntu, all allow one to set/override their MAC address usually via a dialogue box. I don't recall ever using a DSL/Cable modem that did not support setting/overriding the MAC address.

sandworm101 8y ago
Cellphones. Mine certainly doesn't allow me to alter my mac.
- uberman 8y ago
  You must not be using android, because my android allows it without rooting
  - gamblor956 8y ago
    Some manufacturers and/or carriers require the phone to have developer options enabled (aka developer mode) for the MAC address to be changed, for example...most Verizon phones.
- mindslight 8y ago
  FWIW, that says more about your relationship with "your" cell phone than its own capabilities. Protocol wise, a MAC address is fundamentally the choice of the client. And for cloning, they aren't even obscure but printed right on every device. That this has to be continually re-explained to lawyers unfamiliar with technology, because they see some identifier and immediately assert it's immutable until rebutted, is getting to the root of the real problem here. An ethernet MAC is at best, circumstantial - acceptable for tracking down a lead, but means jack-squat when it comes to proof. Furthermore, the fact that we're still going over this in a technology forum demonstrates the probable lack of competent diligence done by the school's IT department before presenting their "expert" opinion.
- sfopdxnonstop 8y ago
  It does if you try a little bit. But, you said truly, not if you don't.
MertsA 8y ago
Cable modems actually never allow you to change the MAC address. You're thinking of consumer routers which commonly allowed cloning a MAC because old internet services would hardcode a single MAC address per account in order to prevent customers from just grabbing 10 public IP addresses each. Just about every single DOCSIS network still in existence uses BPI+ to encrypt the traffic to each customer to make sure that you can't just sniff traffic for the entire neighborhood and steal service. BPI+ has a certificate that is minted and signed at the factory with the device's MAC address in it. If you tried to change the MAC address, even if you had root, you wouldn't have a valid certificate so the modem would never get a connection.
- uberman 8y ago
  Yes, of course you are correct. I did mean consumer routers.

sandworm101 8y ago

Cellphones. Mine certainly doesn't allow me to alter my mac.

uberman 8y ago
You must not be using android, because my android allows it without rooting
- gamblor956 8y ago
  Some manufacturers and/or carriers require the phone to have developer options enabled (aka developer mode) for the MAC address to be changed, for example...most Verizon phones.
mindslight 8y ago
FWIW, that says more about your relationship with "your" cell phone than its own capabilities. Protocol wise, a MAC address is fundamentally the choice of the client. And for cloning, they aren't even obscure but printed right on every device. That this has to be continually re-explained to lawyers unfamiliar with technology, because they see some identifier and immediately assert it's immutable until rebutted, is getting to the root of the real problem here. An ethernet MAC is at best, circumstantial - acceptable for tracking down a lead, but means jack-squat when it comes to proof. Furthermore, the fact that we're still going over this in a technology forum demonstrates the probable lack of competent diligence done by the school's IT department before presenting their "expert" opinion.
sfopdxnonstop 8y ago
It does if you try a little bit. But, you said truly, not if you don't.

MertsA 8y ago

Cable modems actually never allow you to change the MAC address. You're thinking of consumer routers which commonly allowed cloning a MAC because old internet services would hardcode a single MAC address per account in order to prevent customers from just grabbing 10 public IP addresses each. Just about every single DOCSIS network still in existence uses BPI+ to encrypt the traffic to each customer to make sure that you can't just sniff traffic for the entire neighborhood and steal service. BPI+ has a certificate that is minted and signed at the factory with the device's MAC address in it. If you tried to change the MAC address, even if you had root, you wouldn't have a valid certificate so the modem would never get a connection.

uberman 8y ago
Yes, of course you are correct. I did mean consumer routers.