Theway a home network usually works is that anyone with your network passphrasecan connect to your home network. However, it’s possible to add another layerof security where only specific devices are allowed to connect. This is calledMAC address filtering.
Keepin mind however that Mac address filtering isn’t a single security solution. Itonly serves as an extra level of difficulty for hackers. It’s a layer that theywill still be able to break through (see below), but anything that makes thingsmore difficult for hackers is always a good thing.
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- Checking the Mac address on a Windows system is very easy. Open the Windows Command window, type ipconfig /all and press Enter. Search through the results for the network adapter that shows as being connected to a network. Make a note of the Physical Address listed in that section.
Why Whitelist Devices?
The short answer is, there is no way to change the MAC address without buying a separate modem and router. What you are failing to understand is that this goes beyond tying an IP address to a MAC address. When it comes to coax cable Internet service, the ISP ties your Internet subscription to.
Yourrouter handles all network traffic inside and outside your home network. Itdecides whether certain devices are allowed to connect to your home network.
Normally,this access is determined by whether or not the user of the device types in thecorrect network passphrase. This is the passphrase you configure in the Set Password section under the Security menu in your router.
This is the only security barrier stopping a hacker from connecting to your network. If you’ve set up a complex password, that may be enough. Unfortunately, most people set password that are fairly easy to crack using basic hacker tools.
Youcan add a second layer of security by only allowing specific devices to connectto your home network.
How MAC Address Filtering Works
Youcan set up your router to only allow specific devices by adding their MACaddresses to the router’s Access Control list.
- Usually, you can find thislist by logging into your router and navigating to the Security menu. You’ll find the list of devices under Access Control.
- You can enable the MacAddress Filtering feature by selecting Turnon Access Control.
- Once this is enabled, you canthen select Block all new devices fromconnecting.
- Once this is selected, you’llbe able to select any of the already-connected devices and block them if youdon’t recognize them.
- It’s a good idea while you’redoing this to scan through the devices and make sure all of the listed devicesand MAC addresses are devices you recognize.
- If, later on, you need to addnew devices to the list, you’ll need to change the setting back to Allow all new devices to connect. Thenconnect the device to the network using the network password.
- Once connected, go back tothe Access Control settings and change the setting back to Block all new devices from connecting.
Somerouters will let you enter devices and MAC addresses manually. But to do this,you’ll need to know the MAC address of the computer you’re connecting.
How To Identify The Mac Address Of Your Computer
Checkingthe Mac address on a Windows system is very easy.
- Open the Windows Commandwindow, type ipconfig /all and pressEnter.
- Search through the resultsfor the network adapter that shows as being connected to a network.
- Make a note of the Physical Address listed in thatsection.
- This physical address is thesame as the connected MAC address shown in your router.
On aMacOS system, the process is slightly different.
- Open System Preferences and select Network.
- Select the connected networkand select the Advanced button.
- Select the Hardware tab to see the MAC Address listed at the top.
You can see the procedures above for finding a MAC address on a PC or a Mac, or even on other devices, complete with screenshots and additional details, in this guide on how to determine a MAC address.
Fordevices like Google Home, Alexa, Philips Hue lights, or other smart homedevices, you can usually find the MAC address printed on the label underneaththe device. This is usually the same label where you’d find the serial number.
Onceyou have the MAC addresses for all of the devices that need to whitelist, youcan then log into the router and either make sure they’re already connected, oradd the MAC address to the existing list.
How Hackers Beat MAC Address Filtering
There are a lot of ways hackers can break through your various tactics to secure your Wi-Fi and home network. Hackers also have a way to get through MAC address filtering as well.
Once a hacker recognizes that they’re blocked from accessing your network via MAC address filtering, all they have to do is spoof their own MAC address to match one of the addresses you’ve allowed.
Theydo this by:
- Going into Network and Sharing Center in theControl Panel.
- Selecting Change adapter settings.
- Selecting the Properties of their network adapter andthe Configure button.
- Selecting Network Address and filling in the Value field with the desired MACaddress.
That’sthe easy part. The difficult part is that the hacker will also need to use apacket sniffing tool to pull existing MAC addresses currently communicating onyour network. These software tools are not always easy for amateurs to use, andcan take effort to use correctly.
Othertech sites may tell you that since hackers can do this, then it’s not worthusing MAC address filtering at all. But that’s not entirely true. If you don’tuse MAC address filtering:
- You aren’t even blockingnon-hackers or amateur Wi-Fi thieves from your network.
- You’re avoiding an easy layerof security for no good reason.
- You aren’t trying to makegetting onto your network as difficult as possible with multiple layers ofcomplexity.
- You won’t have access to asimple tool that can help with parental internet controls.
Thisis why it’s a good extra layer of protection for your network, but youshouldn’t depend on it as your only source of protection. Whitelisting specificdevices should be used as just one part of your overall arsenal of networkprotection.
Looking for the best MAC spoofing tools to change MAC address in Windows 10? Here are 8 best free MAC address changer for Windows 10 / 8 / 7 PC.
How to change MAC address in Windows 10?
What is the best MAC address changer software for Windows operating systems?
If you are interested in knowing everything about MAC address spoofing then this guide is the one-stop solutions for you, where you can get a clear idea about MAC address, reasons for using MAC changer application, and how to change MAC address in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 operating system etc.
Here, we are going to share a comprehensive list of the best free MAC address changer for Windows so that it can accurately help you in choosing the most suitable one and changing your MAC address with ease.
Contents
What is a MAC Address?
MAC address stands for Media Access Control address and it is nowhere related to the Apple Macintosh computers. The MAC address is your computer’s unique hardware number used as a network address for the network adapters like local area network or Ethernet address, IEEE 802, WiFi, and Bluetooth of your laptop and desktop computers.
In simple words, the MAC Address is a 6-byte number or 12-digit hexadecimal number that is used to uniquely identify a host on a network. MAC addresses are most often assigned (hard-coded into a network card) by the manufacturer and it can’t be changed easily, but you can change it or spoof it in the operating system itself which is termed as MAC spoofing or MAC address spoofing.
Why Would You Want to Change Your MAC Address?
Well, there are many reasons for changing the MAC Address but in most of the cases, it related to bypassing certain network restrictions. The below-mentioned reasons will help you in precisely understanding the use of MAC spoofing and MAC address changer software for Windows computers:
✓ Your ISP (Internet service provider) uses MAC address to authenticate or identify internet connection of your computer. So in case, if your network card gets broken, the new Network interface card you replace it with will have different MAC address and hence the Internet won’t work.
In such a case, spoofing a MAC address that is already authorized is much easier than telling your ISP to register your new network card MAC address.
✓ If you want to access a particular network which limits access based on the MAC addresses, in this case, you can easily change MAC address to the one for which you have access available.
✓ When it comes to privacy, MAC address spoofing seems a solid option. If you are using a public WiFi network like in coffee shops, hotels or airports etc. then a hacker can easily track your machines and see your MAC address because you are on the same network.
✓ By changing MAC address, you can get a new IP address lease from the DHCP server. On various networks, the DHCP lease is set to last a long period of time/days or is connected directly with a MAC address such that you get the same IP address all the time.
✓As most of us know, the online gaming clients ban players by identifying the MAC addresses. MAC address changer tools prevent online games from banning due to the MAC address. This means you can play all the online games without any block.
So these were some of the basic things regarding MAC address (physical address) and the importance of MAC address changing tools to change MAC address. Now let’s have a look at the list of best MAC Address Changer for Windows 10 / 8 / 7 operating system.
Top 5 Best Free MAC Address Changer for Windows 10 / 8 / 7
There are plenty of free MAC address spoofing tools for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 platform available on the web that allows you to change the unique address of your network adapters, but we have hand-picked some of the best MAC address changer software for you to choose from.
Continue reading to know the amazing features of these best MAC address changer for Windows 10 and pick one that suits your requirement. Here we go:
Technitium MAC Address Changer
Whenever you search on Google about MAC address changer for Windows, this MAC Address spoofing tool comes top in the search result. Technitium MAC Address Changer is one of the best freeware MAC spoofing utilities that let you instantly spoof or change Media Access Control address of your network interface card.
It comes with a very simple user interface and offers extensive information regarding each Network Interface Card (NIC) in the machine. If you are a newbie and do not know much about the structures of a MAC address, in such cases, this spoofing tool can randomly generate a proper MAC address with complete vendor data for you.
Some of the noticeable features of Technitium MAC Address Changer are:
- It works perfectly on Windows 10, 8, and 7 operating systems (for both 32-bit and 64-bit).
- The enhanced network configuration presets with IPv6 support allow you to instantly switch between network configurations.
- Allows complete configuration of any network adapter.
- It comes with command line options with entire software functionality.
- You can select a preset from the specified preset file to apply directly.
- Update network card vendors list feature allows you to download latest vendor data as well.
By visiting the official website of Technitium MAC Address Changer, you can get plenty of help contents to begin and learn how to change MAC address, restore MAC address, enable or disable DHCP on a Network Connection, and much more.
NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer
NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer is a very powerful but easy to use application that lets you spoof or change the MAC Address of your network adapters and, if needed, restore the original MAC Address within seconds.
This MAC address changing software comes with a pretty simple interface. It displays everything at a place such as all the available adapters, current MAC address and all the manufacturer details.
The best thing with NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer tool is that it doesn’t require Microsoft .NET Framework, supports almost all network adapters, and works on all versions of Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10). Some of its useful features are:
- Spoof MAC Address – Best free tool to spoof MAC address of your network adapter.
- Restore MAC Address – Easily restore the original MAC Address if your network adapter.
- No .NET Framework – This program doesn’t need any Microsoft .NET Framework on your system.
- Very Lightweight – The software application uses only a few MBs of memory, you will not even notice it.
- No Spyware or adware – The program is free from spyware, adware or other pests, nothing extra is installed.
- Free to Use – This software is completely free to use for anyone, at home, and at work.
Smart MAC Address Changer
Smart MAC Address Changer is a handy network tool which allows you to change your MAC address, DNS server, and PC proxy settings as well. This free MAC address changer software gets installed without any interrupting of any adware and it is really fast enough to start working within a matter of seconds.
In case, your internet connection gets blocked because of your MAC address then just choose the appropriate network adapter on this tool and manually enter a new MAC address (or simply click on the “Generate Random MAC Address” button to have one set automatically). This is basically DNS Changer software but also helps in changing MAC addresses.
It also provides the one-click option to Restore Original MAC Address so that you can get it back whenever you want. Smart MAC Address Changer freeware is perfectly compatible with Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows 8 Operating Systems (32 bit or 64 bit).
SMAC MAC Address Changer
SMAC MAC Address Changer is a powerful and easy-to-use Windows MAC address modifying utility which offers the option to change MAC address for almost any network cards on various systems such as the Virtual PC, VM, Windows 7, VISTA, XP, 2003, 2000 operating systems. This MAC address spoofing tool is available in five different variants but the most basic one (Evaluation Edition) is available for free.
One interesting thing, it does not change the hardware burned-in MAC addresses. It only changes the “software based” MAC addresses, which means the new Mac addresses you change will sustain from the reboots.
Find Router Mac Address
The basic version of SMAC has features like MAC address changer tools and the utility can view IP configuration, but misses few advanced and enhanced features available in the paid versions. Here are some of the useful features and benefits of using SMAC MAC Address Changer for Windows:
- Simple and Intuitive Interface, designed for both: newbie and professionals.
- Display Network Adapters and key details.
- Automatically Activate new MAC Address right after changing it.
- Show the manufacturer of the MAC Address.
- Randomly Generate any New MAC Address or based on a selected manufacturer.
- Pre-load MAC Addresses List and chooses the new MAC address from the list.
Router Mac Address Changer Software Free
- Protect your personal privacy by hiding the real MAC Address of your Network Adapters.
- Generate comprehensive reports on Network Adapter details.
- Remove spoofed MAC Address to restore original MAC Address.
Spoof-Me-Now
If you are looking for a lightweight and portable MAC Address spoofing software that allows you to change your MAC address into anything else then you can consider using Portable Spoof-Me-Now. As it is a portable software, so there is no need of installing it. You can simply drop the Spoof-Me-Now program files of on any hard disk, and run it just by clicking the executable button.
The software has a user-friendly interface and the single window structure gives direct access to all the available options. In order to change Windows MAC address, you have to first select a network adapter and when you see the current MAC address then simply specify the new address you want to change it into.
In Portable Spoof-Me-Now program, there are no other amazing options available and the sad part is that it does not implement an option for resetting the MAC address to default.
Change MAC Address
When it comes to using a very simple tool for changing the MAC address of a network adapter then Change MAC Address software by LizardSystems is also a good option. With the help of this MAC Address spoofing tool, you can easily spoof the MAC address, set the MAC address of another manufacturer, or even generate a random MAC address in just a few clicks.
MAC Address changes will be applied and retained after you restart the system. Here are some of the key features of Change MAC Address tool:
- Showing the MAC address of your network adapter.
- Showing the manufacturer of your network adapter.
- Replacing the MAC address with any other address.
- Generating a completely random MAC address.
- Setting a MAC address of another manufacturer.
- Setting a MAC address without changing the manufacturer.
- Automatically activating the new MAC address after the change.
Win 7 MAC Address Changer
With a very clean and intuitive interface, Win7 MAC Address Changer application is specifically designed to change the MAC address used for identifying a specific network adapter or computer in a network. This easy to use MAC spoofing tool fully supports Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
In simple words, we can say that it does nothing magnificent compared to the other MAC address spoofing tools in its category but it serves its purpose just perfectly. All features can be summarized as:
- Neat, simple and clutter-free interface which will show what is needed most.
- Random MAC Address Generator generates random MAC address in a click.
- All most all Wired and Wireless Network Cards from all vendors are Supported.
- Fully compatible with both 32bit and 64bit Windows operating systems.
- Reset MAC Address in a click using “Reset Default” Button.
- All Application setting can be reset default in a click.
- The user can keep track of all actions and undo necessary actions using the log file.
- See Quick System information using the included module.
MadMACs
This is also a well-known MAC Address Spoofing and Host Name Randomizing Application for Windows operating system that lets you randomly change the MAC address and your computer’s hostname.
With the help of MadMACs, you can easily modify the addresses belonging to any network device, either wireless or Ethernet. This tool is very easy to use and works well in different versions of Windows (Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows 8).
Wrapping Up
Get Mac Address Of Router
Now you have an idea about the best MAC Address spoofing tools for Windows 10 laptop or desktop computer. All the amazing features of these top 8 best free MAC address changer for Windows 10 / 8 / 7 are explained in detailed so that you can easily pick the best one that fits your requirement.
According to us, SMAC MAC Address Changer software is a great choice for anybody who wants to have a super easy to use and multifunctional MAC Changer application as it allows you to change both DNS server and MAC address.
Let’s get connected via the comment section to discuss more about the best MAC Address spoofing tool and to clear all your doubts regarding how to change MAC address in Windows 10 OS. If you have any more best free MAC address changer software for Windows to add then feel free to share it with us too.
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