Hiding MAC address

innovate

I want to hide the MAC address of my machine from nosy websites that register this detail.

A Google search gives me a bewildering array of programs that can hide and/or alter MAC addresses.

Does anyone here have any hints and tips on what the best solution is?

Also, does anyone know whether my machine's "name" is made available to sites I access? If so, how can I hide this information from snoopy websites?

ev0s

Why would you want to hide you mac address? This is the unique number of your network card. Not much people can do with that anyway. Do you not me IP address?

superscaper

I agree with ev0s, what would be the point in hiding a MAC address? The number may be unique but it is also meaningless in terms of personal information. Not sure websites are even capable of determining your mac address anyway are they?

espresso

We can all see it anyway!

innovate

ev0s wrote:

Why would you want to hide you mac address?

so that nobody can identify my computer uniquely

ev0s wrote:

This is the unique number of your network card.

I know

ev0s wrote:

Not much people can do with that anyway.

Yes they can - websites/webmasters can - and do - record traffic they get from specific machines

ev0s wrote:

Do you not me IP address?

errm - - - dunno what this means?

Just to clarify, I am not about to go underground and become a spammer who doesn't want anybody to be able to trace them - I just don't want websites I visit to know my MAC address and/or my computer's name. Just like if I wander into a shop to browse, I don't want the shop to record anything about me that enables them to figure out how often I have been to their shop.

innovate

espresso wrote:

We can all see it anyway!

This is not my MAC address or computer name :cool:

I know how to change my IP address - what I am after is information on how I can hide my MAC address and my computer's name.

superscaper

innovate wrote:

I just don't want websites I visit to know my MAC address and/or my computer's name. Just like if I wander into a shop to browse, I don't want the shop to record anything about me that enables them to figure out how often I have been to their shop.

If websites are able to record your computer's name and mac address I think I'd be more concerned with your firewall settings. I'm pretty sure it's not a standard thing they are able to do.

innovate

superscaper wrote:

I agree with ev0s, what would be the point in hiding a MAC address? The number may be unique but it is also meaningless in terms of personal information. Not sure websites are even capable of determining your mac address anyway are they?

A MAC address is, I believe, a damn side more useful than an IP address to people who want to build up a profile about your surfing behaviour.

IP addresses can be changed easily, MAC addresses (and computer names) not so easily.

Websites are capable of determing MAC addresses - it's one of the bits of information that you broadcast without noticing when surfing.

superscaper

innovate wrote:

Websites are capable of determing MAC addresses - it's one of the bits of information that you broadcast without noticing when surfing.

Do you have a source for this or an example website that shows your mac address? I've never come across it myself and I thought that kind of data was only accessible through netbios which should be inaccessible externally with a firewall.

innovate

I do not own a website so cannot provide an example of what webmasters can see.

However, any webmaster with the right tools can track your Internet activity if they know your MAC Address. Your MAC Address is continuously being sent over WiFi networks, even if they use secure WEP/WPA Encryption.

superscaper

innovate wrote:

However, any webmaster with the right tools can track your Internet activity if they know your MAC Address. Your MAC Address is continuously being sent over WiFi networks, even if they use secure WEP/WPA Encryption.

I know MAC addresses are transmitted over LAN but I still don't see how that translates to internet servers. You've said something I've never heard before and all I want is to be able to verify it from somewhere. Eg where did you hear that MAC addressesand computer names are transmitted over the internet? Anything I can read up on myself. Iwould have thought a site like shieldsup would include that information if it was available.