What Is Mac Spoofing?

MAC spoofing has its pros and cons.

The Media Access Control (MAC) address is a unique, permanent identifier for network hardware, mostly adapter and interface cards, an apparently ideal solution for securing networks. MAC Spoofing is the process by which the MAC address can be changed.

MAC Spoofing Software

Technitium Mac Address Changer and SMAC 2.0 (on the Windows platform), along with iproute2 and ifconfig (for Linux) are software solutions for spoofing MAC addresses. The Windows Registry can also be used to alter a MAC address.

MAC Spoofing at Home

Sometimes a cable or DSL modem is configured to allow connections only for an adapter using a specific MAC address. If you change your adapter, you may need to spoof your MAC address in order to connect to the Internet.

The Good

MAC Spoofing can be useful in hiding a computer within a network. It may be that the machine contains sensitive data. Spoofing the MAC address on this machine may add an extra layer of security.

The Bad

Securing a network with MAC addresses can make it easier for unauthorized access if a MAC address is spoofed to match that of an authorized machine.

The Ugly

Spoofing a MAC address can add an extra layer of security for hackers who attempt illegal access.

References

• Raymond.cc: Hacking Knowledge -- Importance of Spoofing your MAC Address
• Irongeek.com: Changing Your MAC Address in Window XP/Vista, Linux And Mac OS X
• Netgear: No Internet With New Router, Computer, or Adapter: MAC Spoofing