Finding Your MAC Address On Wired And Wireless Network Cards

The Answer To The Media Access Control Question

Over the past few weeks, I have received e-mails about Ethernet playing cards, each stressed out and wireless, especially about Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. I think the primary purpose I’ve acquired such a lot of questions on Ethernet playing cards and MAC addresses is people seeking to secure their home wireless networks and their desire to apply MAC to cope with filtering. This form of filtering in wi-fi networks can be configured to allow or deny particular computer systems to use or connect to the wi-fi community based on the MAC address.

My first concept was to write an article about MAC addresses and wireless Ethernet. After thinking about it, I determined to expand on this and discuss some unique statistics about Ethernet playing cards and conversation.

Different Ways Of Finding Your MAC Address And More

There are numerous methods of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol statistics. Many Ethernet card manufacturers have proprietary software that could screen this information, but they work differently, relying on the manufacturer. So we can use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” applications given that this is to be used by the general public of Windows Operating Systems.

First, go to “start” -> “run” and sort “cmd” without the fees. Then, hit the input key. Kuse “ipconfig /all” at the command line without the costs. Simply typing ipconfig without the /all will work will simplest provide you with abbreviated information concerning your network cards. An example of what you would possibly see by typing the “ipconfig /all” command is below, with every object commented in green lettering:

Fault-Tolerant And Highly Availability Computer Systems

There are several methods of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol facts. Many Ethernet card manufacturers have a proprietary software program that could monitor this fact; however, they work another way, relying on the producer. So we will use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” application, considering this is available for most people of Windows Operating Systems.

First, go to “start” -> “run” and sort “cmd” without the quotes. Then, hit the input key. Kuse “ipconfig /all” again at the command line without the fees. Simply typing ipconfig without the /all will work; however, it will only offer abbreviated statistics concerning your network cards. An instance of what you would possibly see via typing the “ipconfig /all” command is below:

Output Of The “Ipconfig /All” Command

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Home Computer

This is your laptop’s call, generally described during the Windows setup. However, it can be modified after setup.

Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . : area.Com

If your pc participates in a community that includes a Microsoft Windows domain, this object may also incorporate the domain name.

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

The Node Type may additionally say Unknown, peer-to-peer, or, in some instances, “hybrid.” It is a cut that concerns the Windows Internet Naming Services used in positive styles of Windows domain networks.

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

This setting determines if Windows XP or 2000 will function as an IP router. If you have one or more network cards, you could set up your gadget to behave as a router, forwarding communications requests from one network to another. Windows 2000 can be configured to do this in a clear-cut style; Windows XP will need a registry amendment.

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy is every other place associated with the “Node Type” we mentioned earlier. It is generally not a required setting in a home, small workplace community, or newer styles of Microsoft Windows domain names.

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

If you have a couple of Ethernet (network) cards for your structures, as I do on this computer, you will have multiple listings. This is the second Ethernet card, an inner Wi-Fi Ethernet card.

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN

This is the outline of the Ethernet card, typically the Name / Manufacturer and type of Ethernet card. In this situation, a Broadcom wireless Ethernet card is installed on my PC.

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A

And here we have the MAC cope with. The MAC copes with a forty-eight-bit hexadecimal code and is assumed to be unique. It is 48 bits because every quantity or letter in hexadecimal represents 8 bits. Hexadecimal numbers range from zero,1,2, three,4,5,6,7,8, nine, A, B, C, D, E, F. There are six alpha-numeric codes;s therefore,e 6*eight=48(bits). The first three codes discover the card manufacturer, and the remaining codes are used to create a unique number. Theoretically, there should not be a card with identical MAC cope with on a nearby network. However, there are a few exceptions.

There is a software program gear that permits you to alternate this code. That is a step a few hackers take to assault other structures in a local community. I say neighborhood network because MAC addresses aren’t routable between community segments. You can impersonate every other device on the local network by spoofing this deal. Traffic that became sure of the intended goal may be redirected to the hacker’s system. You will also use this deal to populate a MAC cope with or physically cope with the table while putting your wireless entry to factor to guide MAC deal with filtering.

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

DHCP, or the Dynamic Host Control Protocol, if enabled, your computer’s IP address is supplied using a DHCP server in your community. The DHCP server could be your wireless access point, cable/DSL router, cable modem, or a server for your community. Also, if a DHCP server is not enabled in your community, your computer’s Operating System will automatically generate a random IP cope within a predefined variety. This means you could collectively community a set of systems without assigning the IP settings manually.

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.117

This parameter presents you with your contemporary IP address. The address listed above is what’s known as a “private” address. Instructions for IP addresses have been set apart for personal use. This means your internal, local, or personal community at home or workplace. These addresses are not, or ought to now not, be routable on the Internet—the Internet routes what are called “legitimate” IP addresses. Your cable/DSL router or cable modem has a legitimate IP deal assigned to its “outside” community interface. The external interface may be your phone line or cable TV cable.

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

The Subnet Mask is a unique range, or, in a few words, filter, that breaks down your IP address, in this situation, personal IP address, into certain corporations. IP addresses and Subnet Masks can be complicated to remember and take a whole article to explain.

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254

The default gateway, the IP addresses listed above, is the IP address that handles the tool to direct your request, along with your attempts to browse an Internet site, to the Internet. It is a bit more complicated than that, although gateways or routers can direct visitors to numerous different networks, even other personal networks. This gateway is probably your cable/DSL modem or router at home or in a small office.

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.Zero.Forty-nine

Remember we talked a little about love? The DHCP server is the tool that assigns your laptop to an IP death and different data. DHCP servers can assign all types of records, including Default Gateway, Domain Name Servers (DNS), IP deal with, Subnet Mask, Time Server, and more.

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.49, 64.105.197.58

DNS Servers are inner or external servers that resolve Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN), together with http://www.Defendingthenet.Com, to IP addresses. This is done because computer systems do not transmit your requests using the area call; they use the IP cope assigned to the FQDN. For maximum domestic or small office customers, the number one DNS server is the IP that copes with your cable/DSL router. Your cable/DSL router then queries an external DNS server on the Internet to perform the real resolution of the FQDN to IP cope. The deal with 192.168.0. Forty-nine is an internal private device in my community, whereas sixty-four. One hundred and five.197.Fifty-eight is an outside public Internet DNS server and a gift if my router has trouble with the DNS resolution tasks.

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 19, 2006, 6:38: sixteen PM

This information tells you that your pc received its IP and deals with different data from a DHCP server. You will note it says “Lease Obtained” because maximum DHCP servers best Lease the IP deal with you from a pool of available cope. For instance, your pool can be 192.168.1.1 tthrough192.168.1.50. So your DHCP server has 50 IP addresses to select from when assigning your pc its IP deal.

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, March 29, 2006, nine:38: sixteen PM

When the IP deal is assigned with the aid of the DHCP server, the Lease expires; it will try to lease you the same as any other IP address. This characteristic can generally be changed on the DHCP server. For instance, on some efficient DHCP servers, you could configure the lease not to expire or run out within a day.

Why Are MAC Addresses So Important And How Do They Work

To bounce lower back to MAC address for simply a bit. You might imagine that IP addresses are essential to community verbal exchange. The reality is that MAC addresses are very critical because computers would not communicate over Ethernet networks without them. When a computer wants to talk with any other laptop in a neighborhood community, it requests a broadcast or asks who owns a specific IP deal. For example, your computer may say, “Who is 192.168.Zero.254”. Using the statistics above, my default gateway is 192.168.Zero.254 and could solution “I am “00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A” 192.168.Zero.254″. It sends back its MAC deal. That MACcopese then goes into what’s known as an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) desk on your laptop. You can see these records by going to the command activate like you probably did above and typing “are-a.” You get statistics like the following:

Internet Address Physical Address Type

192.168.0.49 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic

192.168.Zero.109 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic

192.168.0.112 00-0c-seventy six-93-ninety four-b2 dynamic

192.168.Zero.254 00-0e-2e-2e-15-61 dynamic

How A Hacker Can Use MAC Addresses In An Attack

You will note the IP addresses and, to the proper of them, the MAC addresses. Without this information and the MAC address, you will no longer be reading this text. MAC addresses aren’t routable like IP addresses. The paintings on your local or private network. However, devices on the Internet carry out the same responsibilities. Routers and switches hold a listing in their peer gadgets’ MAC address, similar to your computer systems and gadgets in your private home or workplace community.

I cited above that MAC addresses may be changed so one can redirect requests. For example, suppose I were in your workplace network, and you had an inner net server that took non-public facts as entering. In that case, I may want to tell your laptop to visit my computer for the website by broadcasting my MAC address tied to the real net servers with which I deal IP. I would do this while your pc asked, “Who is the “Real Web Server.” I ought to set up a fake net server that appears much like the real component and begin collecting facts the real internet server might commonly accumulate. You can see how risky this may be.

Conclusion

There are numerous other clean approaches you could discover how your MAC copes with. However, they can be a little puzzling when you have multiple internal network cards. Most outside USB or PCMCIA stressed, and wireless Ethernet playing cards have their MAC address printed. In cases wherein the stressed or wireless network card is inside your computer, including laptops, the MAC address is often published on the lowest of the PC. Even Desktop structure cards inserted in PCI slots have the MAC cope imprinted on the Ethernet card.

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