AIRVPN and Mac Address

[LTJBukem 0]

When using AIRVPN, is the Mac Address hidden as well?

Or is the Mac Address shown to the ISP AIRVPN's?

[Staff 9972]

When using AIRVPN, is the Mac Address hidden as well?

Hello!

The MAC address of your computer card is not transmitted to the Internet (it is not a part of the network layer packets). Your computer network card MAC address is visible only inside your LAN/WAN.

Or is the Mac Address shown to the ISP AIRVPN's?

Your ISP can't see your computer network card MAC address. It can see your router/modem MAC on its first hardware device because that is an ARP domain between your router and the ISP's domain router. So, AirVPN and AirVPN providers can't see neither your computer MAC address nor your router MAC address, simply because they don't receive it in any way.

Kind regards

[ValfarEinWindir 0]

Hi,

 

We use a CAD software at the company. When it crashes (it crashes a lot) it sends a report back to the developer. I believe this way they were able to track us, using pirated software, and we had no other choice than buying a 1 year license, otherwise going to court. Fair enough.

 

They provided a bunch of the MAC addresses, but only one matches the (only) PC using the CAD system (no other MAC addresses can be found in our LAN) + the company's domain name (address). Of course, no VPN services were used. How was this possible? It was the crash report, isn't it? Just from a learning point of view, would they be able to track us in the same manner using a VPN service?

 

All the best!

[zhang888 1066]

Probably they knew it by asking or sending a DMCA letter to your ISP, which returned the subscriber data based on the IP but not MAC.

MACs might be used just as a proof, however they can be very easily changed to a random value.

[ValfarEinWindir 0]

It makes sense. So working behind the VPN, the VPN provider would receive the DMCA letter instead. It would probably be up to the VPN provider to provide credentials or not. The company's domain name would be the VPN IP address. Is that correct?

[jean claud 45]

On linux (and windows too , I think) you can generate fake mac adress with macchanger

https://linuxconfig.org/change-mac-address-with-macchanger-linux-command

[ValfarEinWindir 0]

I'm not worried about the MAC address. Worst case scenario I'd just buy another NIC.

 

Generally speaking, the question is would or wouldn't they be able to track one down through a VPN service, that doesn't keep logs? If VPN provider cooperates, would there be a warning beforehand?

 

From what I understand, they would not, as the VPN provider technically becomes your ISP. It's probably the VPN provider's call.