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Hate someone stealing your WiFi?
Lets check how to use MAC address filters to put an end to this digital theft.
Screens, she said to herself, rolled her eyes, and moved on.
The following day, she noticed a significant drop in internet speeds.
Being a remote worker, this was particularly annoying since she was used to the blazing-fast 1 Gbps broadband.
Finally, she confronted a few of them and asked what this was about.
The WiFi technician gave us the connections for $10 a month, one of them replied.
Good for you, responded Emily and returned to her computer table.
She immediately opened the router console to see a few strange devices enjoying free internet.
Instead of reporting this to her provider, she usedMac addressfiltering as a fightback.
While Emily just sacrificed some data, WiFi stealing can have serious consequences.
What Is a Mac Address?
This puts an additional safety net other than a typical WiFi password.
MAC addresses are tied to the hardware and are very tough to spoof for the average internet user.
In addition, its hassle-free to implement if you dont bring in new devices every other day.
On the contrary,MACaddresses are permanent and remain fixed for a data pipe.
How Does Mac Addresses Work?
Once configured, the router blocks internet access for other devices.
So, there will be two steps in this process: finding MAC addresses and configuring the router.
Finding MAC Address
you better have this information for each one of your devices.
And based on the rig, there are different ways to find the MAC address.
Besides, it also depends on your OS version, and the exact steps may differ.
However, these mentioned steps will be helpful.
First, it’s possible for you to fire up the command prompt and typeipconfig/all.
This command will list all the connections, active or otherwise, with MAC addresses associated with each.
Alternatively, one can enterControl Panel>All Control Panel Items>web link and Sharing Center.
Subsequently, nudge the active connection and enter into theDetailstab in the pop-up.
Finally, the relevant MAC address will be listed beside thePhysical Address.
Mac
Enter theApple menuand clickSystem Preferences.
Next, enter intoNetwork, choose the connection, and clickAdvanced.
Here, the MAC address will be listed under theHardwaretab.
Android
There are two ways to find the MAC address on any Android phone.
EnterSettingsand tapNetwork & internet.
Next, tap the connection name and the gear icon beside it to configure specific connection prefs.
The MAC address will be listed under theAdvancedsection.
Navigate toSettings>About phone>Status information>Phone WiFi MAC address.
These steps work for Samsung smartphones.
For stock Android phones, this is listed inSettings>About phone> WiFi MAC address.
So ultimately, it depends on the phone at hand.
Note: The WiFi MAC varies based on your choice: equipment MAC or randomized MAC.
However, unit MAC remains the same, irrespective of the WiFi youre connected to.
Here, tap beside the active connection.
Now, locate the WiFi Address, which is actually the MAC address.
Head over toSettings>General>About.
Now scroll down and check theWiFi Address.
Again, this heavily depends on your router.
Remember to have an active WiFi or ethernet connection with the same router before proceeding.
Mac people can navigate to theApple menu>System Preferences>data pipe.
Now, hit the connection name and enter into theAdvancedsection.
Here, click theTCP/IPtab to find the default gateway URL in the router section (Router: xx.xx.xx.x).
Next, log into the router dashboard with the username and password.
But lets go ahead with the WiFi since private WiFi owners have more control over ethernet connectivity.
Here, the first thing is selecting the filter mode: Allowed or Blocked.
Finally, dont forget to checkEnableto allow this filtering to go live.
The added devices will show at the bottom for further modifications.
Now only the safelisted devices can reach the routers WiFi.
Benefits and Drawbacks of MAC Address Filtering
The obvious benefit of MAC address filtering is WiFi protection.
It stops freeloaders from enjoying your data without your permission.
Coming to demerits, you must add all new devices to the filtering database.
Stop the Theft!
MAC addresses identify all digital devices with internet connectivity.
One can use them to prevent unauthorized internet access, even if the WiFi password is somehow leaked.
PS: ISP-supplied routers often lack advanced features like VPN.
