If you've landed on this page, most likely, you know there are valid reasons why you want to change or forge a network address. Falsifying the MAC address of a computer's network card allows you to bypass limitations or restrictions on the network, camouflaging the true MAC address of the machine in use. This technique also considerably increases privacy when accessing a computer network. Using a new MAC address is a good solution in the scenarios described and in many other situations. Continue reading this guide to find out how to alter the MAC address of your Windows, Mac OS X and Linux computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Spoof a MAC Address in Windows
Step 1. Access the Start menu
Look at the lower left corner of your computer desktop and locate the Start icon. It is circular in shape and is represented by the multicolored Windows logo.
Step 2. Select the Control Panel item
After accessing the Start menu, look at the right part of the panel that appeared and select the Control Panel item.
Step 3. Select the Network and Internet category
Within the Control Panel, you will find several options to choose from. Find and select the Network and Internet link.
Step 4. Log in to the Network and Sharing Center
From the window that appeared, locate and select the Network and Sharing Center link. It will most likely be the first option available within the window.
Step 5. Select the Change adapter settings item
After logging into the Network and Sharing Center, you will be able to view all of your computer's network connections. Look at the left panel and select the Change adapter settings link.
Step 6. Select the Local Area Connection (LAN) icon
In the window that appears, there will probably be different icons, based on the number of network cards installed on the machine. Select the icon for the Local Area Connection (LAN).
Step 7. Press the Properties button
In the window that appeared, relating to the status of the connection to the local network, press the Properties button. In the new window that appeared, press the Configure button.
Step 8. Select the Advanced tab
From the network card properties window, access the advanced configuration options tab. To do this select the Advanced tab.
Step 9. Select the item Locally managed MAC address
Inside the Advanced tab, you find a panel called Properties. Scroll through the list of entries until you find and select the Locally Managed MAC Address item.
Step 10. Look at the bottom of the new window that appeared
After selecting the Locally Managed MAC Address property, you will see a text message appear on a yellow background. The text should indicate such a message Change the MAC address used by the network card. This is the option that allows you to change the MAC address of your computer's network card.
Step 11. Locate the text field to enter the new MAC address
On the right of the Properties pane, you will find a text field labeled Value. This is where you will need to enter the new character combination of your new MAC address. Before entering a new address, you should review the current MAC address structure.
Step 12. Type the CMD command into the Start menu search field
To do this, access the Start menu, you will notice the presence of a search field under the heading All programs. In the Search programs and files field, type the CMD command. As a result of the search you will see the cmd.exe icon appear. Select it.
A new black window will appear containing some text. This is the Windows Command Prompt
Step 13. Type the Getmac command
Inside the appeared window, you will see a small dash flash. This is the cursor that indicates where you can start typing your commands. Type the getmac command and press the Enter key.
A list of Physical Addresses will be displayed. The first address on the list is your current MAC address
Step 14. Return to the Network Card Advanced Properties window
Now you can create a new MAC address following the current address format (consisting of 12 characters). You can choose to arbitrarily use a combination of letters A to F and any number. In the Value field, type in the new MAC address chosen.
For example, if the first 4 characters match F1-D2, you can change them to F4-D1. Use the same procedure to change the remaining characters. You must respect the format of a MAC address by changing the combination of letters and numbers
Step 15. Press the OK button when finished
After entering the chosen MAC address, press the OK button at the bottom of the window. The window relating to the advanced properties of the network card will be closed and you will see changes to the Local Area Connection (LAN) icon located in the Network Connections window.
- First, a red cross will appear next to the Local Area Connection (LAN) icon, indicating that the network connection is down or the network cable is disconnected. This step means that the system has detected the new changes.
- After a few seconds, you will see the red cross disappear and the Local Area Connection (LAN) will be active again. Congratulations, you have successfully changed your computer's MAC address.
Method 2 of 3: Spoof a MAC address on Mac OS X
Step 1. Launch the Applications app
From the dock at the bottom of the desktop, locate the Applications app icon. It is usually characterized by a folder icon with the letter A enclosed in a circle. Select it to start the application.
Step 2. Select the Utility icon
From the Applications window that appears, scroll through the list of items to locate and select the Utility item.
Step 3. Select the Terminal icon
Scroll through the list of items in the Utility folder that appears, until you locate and select the application called Terminal. The icon of this application is characterized by a black square.
Step 4. Change your computer's MAC address
From the Terminal window that appeared, type the following command: sudo ifconfig en0 ether xx: xx: xx: xx: xx: xx. Note: the twelve x in the command must be replaced with the letters and numbers that make up the new MAC address. You can choose a combination of characters of your choice, remembering that you can use all the numbers and letters from A to F. If you wish, to choose the new MAC address, you can follow the pattern below.
- An example of the command to use could be the following: sudo ifconfig en0 ether d4: 33: a3: ed: f2: 12.
- If the command just shown doesn't work, try the following: sudo ifconfig en1 Wi-Fi xx: xx: xx: xx: xx: xx (as before replace the x with the characters of the new MAC address chosen).
Step 5. Press the Enter key on your keyboard
Then enter your login password to be able to record the new changes to the MAC address.
Step 6. Check that the MAC address has actually changed
When you have finished configuring the new address, type the following command in the Terminal window: ifconfig en0 | grep ether. This action will confirm that the MAC address has been changed.
Method 3 of 3: Spoof a MAC Address in Linux using Macchanger
Step 1. Open the Terminal window
Look at the upper left corner of the screen and select the square icon representing the Terminal window of the Linux distribution you are using.
Step 2. Type the Macchanger command
Inside the Terminal window that appears, type the Macchanger command. Chances are you will have to type the command twice. So if you type the command and the system responds with a message similar to Try Macchanger, simply type it again and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
- A list of parameters with their corresponding values will be displayed.
- Towards the end of the list that appears, you will see a series of characters labeled MAC Address.
Step 3. Type the command macchanger eth0 -r
Then press the Enter key on your keyboard. The system will generate three addresses. The first two will most likely have the words Permanent MAC Address and Current MAC Address. The latter will be referred to as New.
- You can choose to keep the new MAC address provided, in which case no further action will be required.
- To use a MAC address created by you, follow the next steps.
Step 4. In the Terminal window, type the command macchanger eth0 -m followed by the new MAC address chosen
Remember that the new MAC address must be 17 characters long because it will include the symbol: to separate the different pairs of characters. For entering the MAC address, make sure you follow this format: XX: XX: XX: XX: XX: XX. Replace the Xs with your chosen combination of numbers and letters from A to F. For example: 56: 95: ac: ee: 6e: 77.
In this case the complete command should look similar to the following: macchanger eth0 -m 56: 95: ac: ee: 6e: 77
Step 5. Press the Enter key
The chosen MAC address will have been successfully configured. You should be able to see it in the New section.
- If the macchanger command does not work in your case, most likely, you will need to disable the network interface. To do this, access the Terminal window again and type the command: ifconfig eth0 down.
- Now try again to use the maccharger command to enter the new MAC address.
