<![CDATA[PFSense and Mac Addresses.]]>PFSense and Mac Addresses.

Does PFSense block websites, Apps from seeing the Mac Addresses of a PC and connected devices? If no, is there a way to block, disguise or change them?

Thanks

]]>https://forum.netgate.com/topic/163148/pfsense-and-mac-addressesRSS for NodeFri, 17 Apr 2026 00:13:28 GMTWed, 21 Apr 2021 03:33:03 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to PFSense and Mac Addresses. on Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:59:07 GMT]]>@westlos said in PFSense and Mac Addresses.:

What about using apps like Facebook

Why would you care if they are? If your that worried, if a real os and not some tablet or phone.. You could change your mac address.. Maybe whatever OS your running on your phone or tablet allows you do it as well?

In windows its as simple as this. You can view your mac in windows with ipconfig /all

mac.png

Pretty much any OS, and nic driver should allow you to do this. Be careful with what you set it to.. It needs to be valid, and not a multicast mac, etc.

But again - why would you care if some app can see your mac address?

Again as mentioned this mac is used on the local L2 only, it not use with traffic to the internet for example, only for your PC to talk to devices on your network, ie your router lan side interface, etc.

Its a non identifying number, the 1st show you the maker of the device. 00133B for example is

https://www.macvendorlookup.com/
lookup.png

The last 3 numbers would be just the numbers they put on the specific device when they manufactured it.. There is no way to track that to you.. Other than if got with the maker, and said who did you sell this too, hey store who bought this item with serial# (that is if the store actually tracked purchases based on serial# of some nic sold).. Oh F they paid cash - lets go to the camera's, oh there he is buying it with that hoodie.. ENHANCE VIDEO.. Oh its Bob! ;)

Or if that nic was sold to say DELL, then have to get with DELL - hey where did this computer go that you put nic with mac abc in?

I think maybe you been watching too many h@ck3r movies ;)

]]>https://forum.netgate.com/post/979103https://forum.netgate.com/post/979103Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:59:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to PFSense and Mac Addresses. on Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:45:41 GMT]]>@westlos

There is nothing that stops an app from reading the MAC address and passing it on. But that has nothing to do with pfsense. As mentioned above, at the L3 network level, where pfsense operates, MAC addresses are not passed by a router.

]]>https://forum.netgate.com/post/979088https://forum.netgate.com/post/979088Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:45:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to PFSense and Mac Addresses. on Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:44:07 GMT]]>@akuma1x

Thank you.

What about using apps like Facebook, do they have a way to access Mac Addresses?

]]>https://forum.netgate.com/post/979047https://forum.netgate.com/post/979047Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:44:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to PFSense and Mac Addresses. on Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:42:07 GMT]]>@westlos MAC addresses are not passed thru an internet modem or router. They are only used on your local networks to move traffic around.

Read about it here:
https://www.homenethowto.com/switching/mac-addresses/

]]>https://forum.netgate.com/post/979046https://forum.netgate.com/post/979046Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:42:07 GMT