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mac address discussion
 

We talked about MAC address a lot, but to be more precise, each physical device has its own MAC address. For instance, modern, router or adapter has different MAC addresses. Once we say Amazon is detecting your MAC address, but which MAC address is Amazon tracking at? I really want to make it clear.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Good Luck with getting that 'clear'.

Thoughts are so divided on the need to change MAC address.

Can I throw this question at you, please.

Do you know that it is easier to use a dongle or a new ISP to create stealth amazon account?

:ranger:

Re: mac address discussion
 

And dongles have no MAC addresses.

Re: mac address discussion
 

MAC address cannot be tracked/traced. I run several accounts on one laptop.

Re: mac address discussion
 

I use a dongle and my cell phone hotspot created accounts. And I use MAC address changer to modify MAC (I think it modifies the MAC of dongle instead of my cell phone)when switch to another accout. I am not sure if it is necessary.

Re: mac address discussion
 

MAC address cannot be tracked by Amazon without installing software on your laptop so no need to later the MAC address.

Re: mac address discussion
 

So I think what you do is just switching users and obtaining a new IP. Do you use a router or direct modern? I mean when you change your IP has your MAC been changed auomatically? This could be a stupid question LOL, but I really want to figure it out.:ballchain:

Re: mac address discussion
 

God..Most of people I know they say Amazon track my computer or the mac of router..it's a myth, so it means I can do stealth the same way as do with ebay? I'll try

Re: mac address discussion
 

No, Amazon tracks in a lot more depth than eBay.

Re: mac address discussion
 

I have a number of Amazon seller accounts (10 or so I think) and I use the same 6 mobile hotspots to connect to them all. I always ensure that the IP is changed but I cannot and do not change the MAC addresses on the hot spots and have not had a problem with that.

I do however use virtual machines for each account and each virtual machine has it's own unique MAC address so if they are tracking MAC addresses somehow it is certainly not from the mobile hotspots but might be from the computer itself but I cannot say for sure.

Virtual machines are cheap, quick and easy to setup, provide you with a new MAC address for each one without requiring a new computer but basically give you a new computer. It also helps ensure your browser fingers prints stay unique and each virtual machine is free and clear of any data that could link you from other virtual machines. Whether it's needed or not, I dont know for sure, but...... why not? It works.

I have had some accounts closed but I am 99.9% certain it had nothing to do with linking to other accounts and more to do with not uploading tax information and package tracking information being missing. Only a couple out of all the seller accounts I've ever had have ever been closed with n o indications it was due to linking.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Is this a guess OV, or are you 100% sure???

It is the 1st time I've heard of it, and it would be good news to be able to re-use a "banned" dongle.

Thanks

Re: mac address discussion
 

I'm positive the Mac of computer and printers are not tracked. Using cleaned puter and older printers from pre-banned days and not shut down.

Cannot comment on the router though as we changed that out.

Thanks

Re: mac address discussion
 

Dongles 100% have a Mac address. But Amazon 100% do not track your Mac address. This subject has been covered plenty of times and there are lots of people including myself who do not bother changing the Mac address.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Dongles don't have a MAC address; it's different, same as a cell phone, and cannot be accessed by a website.

Re: mac address discussion
 

I think OV you are referring IMEI address that cell phones and dongles have which the cell provider requires. Dongle do not have a MAC address. MAC address is only for ethernet devices and IEEE802 standards

Re: mac address discussion
 

barrycruan indicated that dongles do have MAC address BUT (most importantly) Amazon does not have access to the MAC address

Re: mac address discussion
 

I think OV you are referring IMEI address that cell phones and dongles have which the cell provider requires. Dongle do not have a MAC address. MAC address is only for ethernet devices and IEEE802 standards


Exactly. And internet sites cannot access the IMEI.

Re: mac address discussion
 

More urban myths.

Dongles do not have MAC Address.

Ethernet does.

Learn the differences before perpetuating rubbish

:mad:

Re: mac address discussion
 

Every device on Layer 2 has a Mac Address.

A dongle has a Mac Address, so is a smartphone.

Any device that is capable of connecting to the internet MUST have a Media Access Control (MAC) Address. The Mac Address is used to identify the device requesting a connection.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Maybe you should explain to us all, Oh wise one......

I with OV on this.

Please tell me does a mobile phone have a 'mac address'

However this is pointless as MAC has not effect with amazon

Re: mac address discussion
 

Sorry a smart phone does use a mac address if accessing the internet by wi-fi

Re: mac address discussion
 

Every device that connects to the internet has a MAC address otherwise it could not connect to the internet. A dongle is a device which is used to connect to the internet.. thus it has a MAC address.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Technically, that is true. But MAC addresses were designed for adapters such as Bluetooth radios or wifi radios. The 3g/4g radio uses a different identifier, the IMEI, which is not easily changed or spoofed, due to different requirements for cellular data. Repeat, the data radio in a phone does NOT have what you think of as a MAC address. The wifi and Bluetooth radios do, but that is not what we were talking about, since dongles don't have Bluetooth and their wifi radio is on the opposite end of the equation.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Not following.

The dongle has to use item X ( whatever it gets called to connect to the internet. Item X has the mac address so that enables the dongle to work.

Does this therefore mean there are two mac addresses here if you say the dongle has its own mac address?

Re: mac address discussion
 

Mac address of the adapter you use is visible to websites. So that would be your wifi card on your laptop. Unsure if a MAC address is generated when tethering via USB to a phone; I believe it is.

For anyone who believes that software must be downloaded to your PC to view your MAC address, just visit a local Starbucks, and your MAC address will be right there in the dynamic URL for the login page.

Re: mac address discussion
 

A dongle is just a term used for a small device that connects to a computer (mostly)

"A dongle is a small piece of hardware that attaches to computer, TV, or other electronic device, and that, when attached, enables additional functions such as copy protection, audio, video, games, data, or other services. These services are available only when the dongle is attached." Dongle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not all dongles are for internet purposes so those won't have a MAC address associated with them.. however some dongles such as wireless broadband dongles do have MAC addresses. You can find this by looking up the hardware information via command prompt.. ipconfig /all

Now this will also show your other devices on your PC that have associated MAC addresses such as your network card, maybe a connecting printer..

Any device that connects to the internet will have it's own MAC address.. without one it can't join a network.

So in regards wireless broadband dongles.. yes they have their own MAC address.. so do the devices they're connected to (PC/ MAC).

Re: mac address discussion
 

aspkin,

while that is technically true, and dongles can have MAC addresses per se because they have wifi radios, these addresses are invisible to outside servers because they are not the top level network device connected to the outside server. That is your network adapter on your machine, the only device whose MAC address can be seen to a outside server. That is for the wifi part of the dongle. The 3G/4G part of the dongle works on a different principle and does not have a MAC address, just the hidden the IMEI. The IMEI isn't really like a MAC address because it's supposed to be a hardwired, locked ID used to identify the device on the Internet overall, and not just locally on a network. Kind of like your car's VIN number. The MAC address is more like the serial number of the ECU and is visible to devices that need to communicate with the computer, like the chip in your car's radio-equipped wireless key. Not a perfect analogy but hopefully it casts some light on this.

Re: mac address discussion
 

If the dongle is a wireless network adapter and you're using it to connect to a wireless router.. that's the MAC address that is seen by the router. If that makes sense.

Regardless I wasn't talking about what MAC addresses could or could not be seen. I was answering GB's question.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Yes, that's true aspkin.

But outside sites can only see the laptop or desktop adapter's MAC, ie, the top level adapter. Since it's invisible, I try not to get into dongle MAC addresses since tomorrow a dozen posts will pop up asking how to spoof the dongle MAC.

Re: mac address discussion
 

I hope this was not meant for me.

I will assume by "mobile phone", you meant a "smartphone".

I use Samsung Galaxy S4; it has two Mac Addresses.

If you go to Settings --> More --> About Device --> Status, you get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Mac Addresses.

Download the app IPView, it will show the Local IP, WAN IP, IMEI and Mac Address.

If you make your S4 a hotspot (Same as dongle), you also get all the above with a different WAN IP.

Note that, every dongle has an IMEI like a smartphone. The internet connectivity is either by 3G/3G/LTE, which is a network connectivity. The ISP identifies your device like a modem using the IMEI to allow that connection back to their network. The rest of the connection completes the DORA process of acquiring the IP address.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Half of them don't used/had IMEI :) because they are using CDMA technology and used MEID/ESN :)

Re: mac address discussion
 

Hi Ovidiu,

So you're saying that Amazon can technically see the MAC address of our computer/laptop? But definitely can't see the MAC address of the dongle, so there are no identifying marks for Amazon to find out about the dongle (Except ip address), correct? What about the other options aside from a dongle? Can amazon see the MAC address of your modem if directly connected via ethernet? Or what about a wireless router setup?

And I take it you spoof your MAC address for the laptop/computer for each of your own amazon accounts?

Thanks

Re: mac address discussion
 

I'd suggest you take your own advice there :clap:

Not sure how many times I've said it but every device with a network interface/ that connect to the Internet has to have a MAC address. Even printers have a MAC address.

It is not tracked by Amazon. The amount of experts asserting with authority that dongles do not have a MAC address is rather concerning.

Unless you are in the building next door to Amazon or you download some software that gives out your MAC address you do not need to be concerned about any of this. YET!!!

However with new ip standards being brought in there is a possibility it could be tracked in the future. But I'm sure we will be the first to find out if and when it does start happening.

Re: mac address discussion
 

If MAC addresses concern you, why not just use something like SMAC to spoof them? It seems to me that it would be a reasonable step to take. There has been controversy based on what Amazon or anyone else can and cannot see, but spoofing the MAC addresses can't hurt. Better safe than sorry, right?

Re: mac address discussion
 

The thing is changing MAC address is probably the most difficult thing to do for a newby and its completely pointless. I've never changed it and had no problems.

Re: mac address discussion
 

Thanks to you barrycruan, I havent made efforts to worry about MAC