Do you want Gonzo to post your real name?

[Mediaguy]

Originally Posted by moetheman

Much as I dislike your innuendo, you at least have been ATTEMPTING to discuss facts.

I will say this: you are assuming that the only way to obtain the MAC addy of the computer that the user is on is by looking at JUST the TCP packets that reach the server (the "last leg" of the trip, so to speak).
That is not so.
The simple fact that the information is contained within TCP packets is enough for anyone with a bit of knowledge and half a brain to realize that the originating computer's MAC address can be eventually obtained after it has connected to a server on the WAN.

Which has been the point all along.

I am not going to break it down for you all any further. I am amazed that it appears as though you two TRULY CANNOT obtain this information on your own.

And guess what? I AM NOT EVEN INTO NETWORKING THAT MUCH AT ALL AND I KNOW THIS!!!!!!

Goes to show.

I can get it for my machine, my local area network, my whole office... but not your machine.

You've been talking about getting originating computers' MAC addresses via the TCP/IP packets received at the destination server.

Your initial post in this thread on the subject stated flatly that tracking via MAC addresses was common, which is false.

It's true within a LAN.

In the other thread about this, you say:

Originally Posted by moetheman

all that is needed is the IP address. Once that is available, only a SECURE system would prevent someone (or someone's software) from obtaining the MAC address.

I don't know about you but this reads to me like you're saying remote software could get my LAN-side MAC address... which is not true, unless a program or software within my LAN (malware, spyware, or something I downloaded willingly) broadcast the address to that other software.

Remote sofware without a direct connection or relationship with a program within my LAN will not read or detect my MAC address.

TCP/IP packets only carry current device/next device MAC addresses.

So my MAC address is in the initial packet to my router; then the packet's source and destination MAC addresses are re-written from my router and to my ISP; then from the ISP they are rewritten again, the destination replacing the source, and the new destination being the next node or router on the path to whatever site or IP address I'm headed for.

The packet is rewritten from each device's routing table - it's mini-memory of what other devices it's connected to which allow it to forward your request or packet to the next step...

Each device has it's own routing table and MAC address. The TCP/IP packet acquires the current and writes in the next address and will do the same at the next device.

These packets can't and don't retain the record of each device they've travelled through; it's inefficient and unecessary.

So there's no way the destination can read the originating computer's networking card MAC address...

Btw you inferred more than I implied, re. the inuendo.