Moetheman:
Sorry dude, but look. You are the one saying that MAC ADDRESS tracking is all over the place. I am only asking you how you know that? I am asking you to prove it? There's no reason to be hostile. If I've made you mad, I'm sorry.
If you can get anyone's MAC address over the Internet, how can you do it?
I really don't think that you can do this. No reason to get mad at me.
TCP/IP networks use both the IP addresses and MAC addresses of connected computers. A computer's assigned IP address changes over time, but the MAC address of the computer network adapter is fixed.
It is usually not possible for a person to get the MAC address of a computer from its IP address alone. These two addresses originate from different sources. Simply stated, a computer's own hardware configuration determines its MAC address while the configuration of the network it is connected to determines its IP address.
However, computers connected to the same TCP/IP local network can determine each other's MAC addresses. The technology called ARP - Address Resolution Protocol included with TCP/IP makes it possible. Using ARP, each computer maintains a list of both IP and MAC addresses for each device it has recently communicated with.
Most computers allow you to see the list of IP and MAC addresses that ARP has collected there.
In Windows, Linux and other operating systems, the command line utility "arp" shows this information. Using "arp," you can in fact determine the MAC address of some computers from their IP address. ARP works only within the small group of computers on a local area network (LAN), though, not across the Internet. ARP is intended for use by system administrators and is not generally useful as a way to track down computers and people on the Internet.
So then, I repeat the question. Please tell me how you, a person connected to me only via Internet (WAN), can obtain my MAC address when it is only available to other machines inside my local area network.
Here is 1 way to do it. If I wanted to get your Mac address, I could get you to download a program to your computer, and run it. (The MAC address is easily obtained from any program running on your machine). This program could then broadcast (via sending a message, Posting, or send an email) to me with your MAC address.
I however, could not sit here, and run a magic program, enter your IP address, and grab your Mac address. I'm sorry, but AS FAR AS I KNOW BECAUSE I AM NO NETWORK EXPERT HERE, I do not THINK that this cannot be done.
I am not trying to put you on the spot dude, I'm sorry. I am just asking you (or anyone) to show me how to get a Mac address of any machine on the Internet.
Cheers!
Mark Prince
http://www.2Much.net
http://www.LiveCamNetwork.com