A MAC (media access controller) address is a unique identifier for your computer’s network hardware. In general, it just works, but sometimes you need to change it. Apple and Microsoft don’t make it easy to change your MAC address, but it is possible.
With just a slight change to his MAC address, he was in the network! | shutter
Why do you want to change it?
This setting does not give you any speed or performance benefits. It’s like the phone number of your hardware. If you change it to an existing number you will confuse your network.
shutter
The most common reason to change your MAC address is that some other device is locked to an old address. Your router or another piece of hardware can only accept or make connections to a specific MAC address. I had this problem when connecting to my office computer. The IT help desk is closed, but I need to connect to the network using another laptop. When I changed my new laptop to the old laptop’s MAC address, I got access to the network.
Another reason to change your MAC address is for wifi networks with limited time or number of connections. You shouldn’t use this to bypass network time restrictions, but you can switch your connection time to a different MAC address. For example, you can subscribe to Wi-Fi for a few hours on your tablet. Then want to use your laptop on the network. Instead of paying for another connection, changing the laptop’s MAC address to the tablet’s MAC address can save you from paying for an additional connection.
Moral:
Finally, someone can track you through your MAC address. You may want to change it every time you connect to the network, or just use a random address.
How to find MAC address on PC
If you are using a PC, the easiest way is through the command prompt. Type
ipconfig / all
and you will see all your network interfaces and physical addresses. That’s the MAC address.
You can also find it by going to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections. Then right click on the network adapter and selecttatus > Details. Again, the physical address is the MAC address.
Command Prompt Tips on PC: Here is a list of interesting command prompt tips. You can even install apps
How to find the MAC address on a Mac
If you’re on a wireless network, hold down the option key while clicking the wifi icon in the menu bar. It will tell you the Interface Name and Address. That address is your MAC address. If you’re using Ethernet or another connection, you’ll need to go to Network Preferences.
Select the interface you are testing, then go to Advanced->Hardware. At the top is the MAC address.
You can also type
ifconfig
in the terminal and that will tell you the MAC addresses of all your interfaces.
Cool wireless Mac tools: That Option key is just one of many hidden Mac wireless features
Easy way to change this on Mac
The best program I found for this on Mac is WifiSpoof. It’s $9.99, but they offer a 2 week free trial. Not only does it make it easy to change the address, but it also runs as an icon in the menu bar if you want. It can randomize the MAC address every time it is run. If you’re worried about tracking, this is the app for you.
If all you want is a simple way to change the address, Mac MACSpoof does it with a $4.99 option purchase. The interface is not slick and the application requires an additional “help” application to be installed.
Easy way to change this on PC
Just like on a Mac, third-party software makes this easy for a PC. For example, Technitium MAC Address Changer is a free program that does this for you.
What I like about this app is that it allows you to pick a random MAC address if all you care about is changing the address for testing purposes. It also lets you know which addresses are active.
NoVirusThanks’ MAC Address Changer is another free program. It has fewer options but is easier to use than Technitium’s version.
Windows 10 users: Your computer hardware can support automatic MAC randomization
Direct way to change this on Mac
If you are comfortable in the OS X terminal, type the command
sudo ifconfig en0 xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Replace XX with the new MAC address number.
Direct way to change this on PC
Similar to the direct way on a Mac, this works without third-party software. Go to Device Manager. Then click the disclosure triangle and find the adapter you want to change. Again, remember, each adapter type uses a unique MAC address.
Once you find your adapter, click Properties and then Advanced. You should see a Property named Network Address. Go to the Value: box and change the value to what you want.
Remember to Redeem
Whichever option you choose, don’t forget to change the MAC address again when you’re done. Otherwise, you may have problems on other networks. If your goal is to use a random address, you could be in trouble if someone already uses that MAC address.
ALSO SEE: How to prevent your Mac from connecting to the wrong wireless network
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
