How to Change Your MAC Address on Windows and Mac

Every web-connected component in your home has a MAC address. We can think of these 12-digit identifiers as digital badges that computers, smartphones, tablets and smart TVs use to say “present” on our home Wi-Fi networks. MAC addresses are also an integral part of maintaining a secure and reliable gateway to the Internet.

Can you change a MAC address? Yes, and we’ll show you how to do it in this step-by-step guide for Windows and macOS. But keep in mind that in most cases you will probably never need to change your device’s MAC ID.

Let’s talk about identity theft

Changing your MAC address, especially if you do it frequently, is called identity theft. The word “identity theft” does indeed have a negative connotation. After all, it makes it look like you’re trying to deceive someone. However, there are many important reasons to change your MAC address.

Many people do it for their privacy. Changing your MAC address regularly makes it very difficult for networks to track your device and how you use it. If you use a timeout Wi-Fi connection that only gives you, for example, one hour of free Wi-Fi access (some companies, like airports, do this), you can still get ‘free Wi-Fi by changing address from time to time. at the time.

However, identity theft also has some disadvantages. Most importantly, companies often have security filters in place that only allow specific employee devices to access their networks. If you spoof an address, the system will no longer recognize you.

For this reason, it is crucial to record your original MAC address before changing it! This is also why spoofing a professional device is often a bad idea. Save this tip for your non-BYOD home computers, if possible.

Change your MAC address in Windows: simple method

MAC address changers are software tools that you can download. When they’re up and running, they show you everything you want to know about all of your computer’s network connections, including the original and active MAC addresses and network speed.

Address changers include options to change MAC addresses and set certain rules to make the change random, make the change persistent, restore original settings, etc. It’s a fun little solution, all located in a single pop-up window. We recommend using the Technitium Mac Address Changer, which has done a good job staying up to date with Windows 11.

Change your MAC address in Windows: advanced method

If you really don’t want to download new tools, there is a way to change the address manually in Windows. Meet at your place device Manager (you can find it by searching for it if you’re not sure where it is) and look for the option that says Network adapters. This will show you all the network interfaces on your PC.

Choose the one you want to edit, right-click on it and select Properties. In the window that opens, go to Advance and click on the tab Property option that says Network address Or Mac Address (or something similar). This will make the address appear in the small Value box. You can click this box and set the MAC code however you want, as long as you don’t use characters like colons or hyphens.

Change MAC Address on macOS

There are some address changers designed for macOS, but the process of resetting your address is simple if you only want to change it once. First, you’ll want to verify and save your MAC number. Locate the Wi-Fi sign in the upper right corner of your macOS, hold the button. Option and click on the button Wireless button. The second line that appears in the drop-down menu should be your address, and it will say “address” in gray letters to avoid confusion.

You can find the Terminal app by going to Applications > Utilities > Terminal. It’s time to type some commands!

If you want to specify a new set of numbers (perhaps you want an easy to remember address), use the terminal and type “sudo ifconfig en0 ether aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff” – you can replace the alphabet with the code you want. If this code doesn’t work, try using “en1” instead of “en0” in the command to manipulate your Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. Clicking on your Wi-Fi like we did before also displays the correct option for your machine in the first line titled Interface Name.

If you want to set a completely random number instead, type (or maybe just paste) “openssl rand -hex 6 | sed’s/(..)/1:/g; s/.$//’ | xargs sudo ifconfig en0 ether” and press Enter. Again, if that doesn’t work, try replacing “en0” with the name of your specific interface. Using a random MAC address is one way to protect your privacy.

Some notes

This can be a difficult and complex process if you want to change or spoof your MAC address. MAC addresses are unique and designed to contain important information about your device. With such a precise and complicated setup, every number must be correct to make the change successfully.

You might experience issues with network settings, drivers, or synchronization. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so you will have to solve each problem separately as you encounter it.

The key to success in changing your MAC address is to restart the router after the change is made. If you can’t access your router, you can restart your network connection by simply turning off Wi-Fi on your device and then turning it back on.

Changing your MAC address is a lengthy process that may take a few attempts to succeed. You will need to create a whitelist on your router or follow the process every time you purchase a new device or provide access to visitors.

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