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Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

If I set up a new user account on my laptop, and connect to a public wifi to run a new eBay. In this case, do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
Many thanks.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

There's no need to modify your laptop's MAC.

What you shouldn't do is use a public wifi. You want to have control over your IP, ensuring it hasn't been flagged in the past.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

public wifi is really risky as many ebay users could be using that public wifi and ebay can track you. try buying a usb dongle or a mobile hotspot and change the ip address make sure to write them down so you wont be able to use the same ip address in another account your using

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

What does a USB dongle for? I already have one.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

get an ovivo data sim card. only £20 and you never have to top up again. every month you get 1gb free.

they also give £15 back as credit, charging £5 for sim.

if you want 2gb per month, cost £5 per month.

>2gb - unlimted i recommend one plan from 3.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

dongle is used so you get dif ip addresses

changing user id would be all you need to do for mac address details

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

I'm going to try the OVIVO out, will make my order in the morning, anyone rate this ISP?

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

We are very sad to announce that for reasons beyond our control, OVIVO Mobile is closing down on the evening of Wednesday 19th March 2014.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

you could also tether your mobile and use that if you have unlimited data

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Avoid the public wifi

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Curious on the relevance of avoiding public wifi... ebay should definitely understand that ecommerce is mobile thus people using many different IP addresses even a public one from time to time shouldn't raise any concern if you are selling legitimate merchandise.

Many small business owners go to starbucks to work on their deals. I've even worked on my accounts in different countries and never had a problem with being flagged or anything.

How does using the same connection as some other random person in the world possibly jeopardize your account? if you have nothing to do with them and nothing about them is flagging eBay, why would that worry you. The trends that they are logging on their own eBay account are likely vastly different then what you are doing on yours so eBay would in that case look much deeper and see that their would be no relation....

You just dont want to link to your own accounts. As far as linking to other trouble accounts that might possible be in the same starbucks as you seems a little far fetched. But logging onto say a primary account in a coffee shop it shouldn't get shut down. eBay knows that people are mobile these days often working from airports, coffee shops, airplanes, trains, even in the car going down the highway.

I am interested in hearing the reasons why its not advised.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Yes i found that out when it stopped working! what a waste of £20, only used it for a week or so and didn't use any of the credit

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

well because for one, if one of your accounts goes down, what every other accounts MAY go down as well
while this may not be the case on every account becuase not ONLY IP address can link 2 or more accounts together it is risky to have more then one account go down just because you didn't want to use a new IP for the account(s)

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Good point.
Many public IP address are shared amogst the pool of users logging on these networks. Even say at home, you might have different people with their own personal accounts using the same Internet connection (and hence same public IP address).

There isn't an unlimited supply of IP out there. Many get used and reused over time and location. The absolute limit for IP4 is actually 256^4 and only a fraction of these are in the user space doman. This number corresponds to each and every device connected to the Internet at any given time.

I think this topic needs to be fleshed out and understood more clearly in terms of Stealth. There appear to be a number of misconceptions.

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Perhaps new thread by you cpm is good move

Re: Do I need to change my laptop's MAC?
 

Strong NO for public wifi.
You can't never know who have used this before...

I would recommend to get router and ISP which have dynamic IP.
Then just change routers macd address and you will have new IP.