[ransomnote]

Every piece of equipment that connects to the Internet must have a unique code. This unique code happens to be called a Machine Access Code'. Sadly, the acronym for this code is 'MAC Address'. This has nothing to do with branding; it's not specific to 'MAC computers'  It's strictly a unique code for any piece of computer equipment for identification when connected to the Internet, regardless of the operating system ( Mac/Linux/PC/Android etc.).

Prior Internet protocols (e.g.,  IPv4)  only used MAC addresses internally - so it was never made public. The latest Internet Standard ( IPv6) broadcasts that unique code for your computer - so that your hardware provides a unique identifier to the world wide web and its inhabitants. It's a piece of the puzzle which can be used to help identify specific user accounts.

So Denninger advises turning on the 'Randomize MAC Address' feature on your computer.

I'll put a few 'how to' links here in case anyone is interested. I did not test them so proceed at your own risk - I just wanted to make things convenient if you see a source you trust.

Adroid

https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/wifi-mac-randomization-behavior

WINDOWS 11 RANDOMIZE

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-cant-find-random-mac-addresse-option/5646572b-0c24-400c-88b2-52b94e165445

Windows 10 RANDOMIZE

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-random-hardware-addresses-in-windows-ac58de34-35fc-31ff-c650-823fc48eb1bc 

WINDOWS CHANGE MAC ADDRESS

https://www.digitalcitizen.life/change-mac-address-windows/

Linux

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/s4jrx8/how_do_i_randomize_mac_on_every_startup/

 

[brianl703]

Back in my day, the “MAC” in “mac address” stood for “medium access control, not “Machine Access Code”.

Of course, things change all the time, so maybe that’s what it is these days.

[ShadowAce]

ping

[RoosterRedux]

Is there a disadvantage to randomizing your address?

[wjcsux]

Please forgive my computer ignorance. I am using VPN from Norton, does it do the same thing?

[NFHale]

Thank you

[C210N]

For win10/11, all well and good. Now, Any tips for win7?

[powerset]

IPv6 was necessary because IPv4’s 32 bits was inadequate even for every human to have their own IP address, much less the number of computers we have now.

But they “improved” things in a foolish way (IMHO). Not only was IPv6 quite incompatible with IPv4 (it needed new software and often new hardware), but they killed privacy by designing it to require a *unique* IPv6 address (128 bits) for every device on the Internet (computer, phone, TV, automobile, air conditioner, etc.).

It’s too bad they didn’t follow the lead of Ma Bell when they introduced Area Codes and Direct Distance Dialing in a backward compatible manner. When that was done (by simply adding digits to the phone number), you didn’t have to get a second phone number and add a new phone to use the new feature.

There were (and still are) some reserved IPv4 addresses that could have been used to indicate that what followed was actually IPv6, which then could probably have been handled in a compatibility mode.

[Openurmind]

Good stuff! There is another concern and I honestly do not know how to beat it. Ever device has a unique device ID number. They now have device ID recognition software. They use it for security purposes, but it could be used just as well for watching for when a unique device pops up on the WWW. Point being not sure hiding a MAC address would do anything to help with this issue. Maybe someone who knows more than I do about it could chime in.

[Bob434]

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[Bigg Red]

Mark

[Taxman]

ping