The Answer To The Media Access Control Question
Over the past few weeks, I even have received quite a few e-mails about Ethernet playing cards, each stressed out and wireless, and greater especially, about Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. I think the primary purpose I’ve acquired such a lot of questions on Ethernet playing cards and MAC addresses are people seeking to secure their home wireless networks and their desire to apply MAC cope with filtering. This form of filtering in wi-fi networks can be configured to allow or deny particular computer systems to use or connect to the wi-fi community, based on the MAC address.
My first concept becomes to write down an article pretty much MAC addresses and wireless Ethernet. After thinking about it, I determined to increase this and move over some unique statistics about Ethernet playing cards and conversation.
Different Ways Of Finding Your MAC Address And More
There are numerous methods of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol statistics. Many Ethernet card manufacturers have proprietary software that could screen this information, but they work differently, relying on the manufacturer. So we can use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” application given that this is to be had in the general public of Windows Operating Systems.
First, go to “start” -> “run” and sort “cmd” without the fees. Then hit the input key. At the command line, kind “ipconfig /all,” once more without the fees. Actually, simply typing ipconfig without the /all will work will simplest provide you with abbreviated information concerning your network cards. An example of what you would possibly see by using typing the “ipconfig /all” command is below with every object commented in green lettering:
Fault-Tolerant And Highly Availability Computer Systems
There are several methods of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol facts. Many Ethernet card manufacturers have a proprietary software program that could monitor this fact; however, they work another way, relying on the producer. So we will use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” application, considering this is available for most people of Windows Operating Systems.
First, go to “start” -> “run” and sort “cmd” without the quotes. Then hit the input key. At the command line, kind “ipconfig /all,” once more without the fees. Actually, simply typing ipconfig without the /all will work; however, it will only offer you abbreviated statistics concerning your network cards. An instance of what you would possibly see via typing the “ipconfig /all” command is beneath:
OutPut Of The “Ipconfig /All” Command
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Home Computer
This is the call of your laptop, generally described during the windows setup. However, it can be modified after setup.
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . : area.Com
If your pc participates in a community that includes a Microsoft Windows domain, this object may also incorporate the domain name.
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
The Node Type may additionally say Unknown, or peer-to-peer, or in some instances “hybrid.” It is a cutting that has to do with the Windows Internet Naming Services used in positive styles of Windows domain networks.
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
This placing determines if Windows XP or 2000 will feature as an IP router. If you’ve got or greater network cards, you could set up your gadget to behave as a router, forwarding communications requests from one network to another. Windows 2000 can be configured to try this in a clear-cut style; Windows XP will need a registry amendment.
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy is every other placing that is associated with the “Node Type” we mentioned earlier. It is generally not a required setting in a home or small workplace community or newer styles of Microsoft Windows domain names.
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:
If you have got a couple of Ethernet (network) cards for your structures, as I do on this computer, you will have multiple listings. This one occurs to be the second Ethernet card, an inner wi-fi Ethernet card.
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
This is the outline of the Ethernet card, typically the Name / Manufacturer and type of Ethernet card. In this situation, it’s miles a Broadcom wireless Ethernet card constructed into my pc.
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A
And here we have the MAC cope with. The MAC copes with a forty-eight-bit hexadecimal code and is assumed to be a unique deal. It is 48 bits because every quantity or letter in hexadecimal represents 8 bits. Hexadecimal numbers range from zero,1,2,three,4,5,6,7,8,nine,A,B,C,D,E, F. There are 6 alpha-numeric codes therefore 6*eight=48(bits). The first three codes discover the card manufacturer, and the remaining codes are used to create a unique number. Theoretically, there should by no means be a card with identical MAC cope with on a nearby network. However, there are a few exceptions.
There is software program gear that permits you to alternate this code. In fact, that is a step a few hackers take to assault other structures in a local community. I say neighborhood network due to the fact MAC addresses aren’t routable between community segments. By spoofing this deal, you can impersonate every other device on the local network. Traffic that became sure of the intended goal may be redirected to the hacker’s system. This is the deal you will also use to populate a MAC cope with or physically cope with the table while putting your wireless entry to factor to guide MAC deal with filtering.
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
DHCP, or the Dynamic Host Control Protocol, if enabled manner your computer’s IP address is being supplied by using a DHCP server in your community. The DHCP server could be your wireless access point, cable/DSL router, cable modem, or a server for your community. Also, if a DHCP server is not enabled in your community, your computer’s Operating System will automobile generate a random IP cope within a sure predefined variety. This means you could community a set of systems collectively without having to assign the IP settings manually.
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.117
This parameter presents you with your contemporary IP address. The cope with listed above is what’s known as a “private” address. There are sure instructions for IP addresses that have been set apart for personal use. This means your internal, local, or personal community at home or workplace. These addresses are not, or ought to now not, be routable on the Internet—the Internet routes what are called “legitimate” IP addresses. Your cable/DSL router or cable modem has a legitimate IP deal assigned to its “outside” community interface. The external interface maybe your phone line or cable TV cable.
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
The Subnet Mask is a unique range, or in a few feel, filter, that breaks down your IP address, in this situation personal IP cope with, into certain corporations. IP addresses and Subnet Masks can be a complicated remember and take a whole article to move over.
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
The default gateway, the IP addresses listed above, is the IP cope with the tool to the direction your request, along with while you try and browse an internet site, to the Internet. It is a chunk greater complicated than that, although gateways or routers can direct visitors to numerous different networks, even other personal networks. This gateway most probably is your cable/DSL modem or router at your own home or small office.
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.Zero.Forty-nine
The DHCP server, remember we talked a little approximately this above, is the tool that assigns your laptop an IP deal with and different data. DHCP servers can assign all types of records, including; Default Gateway, Domain Name Servers (DNS), IP deal with, Subnet Mask, Time Server, and much extra.
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.49, 64.105.197.58
DNS Servers are inner or external servers that resolve Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN), together with http://www.Defendingthenet.Com, to IP addresses. This is done because computer systems do not transmit your requests using the area call; they use the IP cope with assigned to the FQDN. For maximum domestic or small office customers, the number one DNS server is the IP that copes with your cable/DSL router. Your cable/DSL router then queries an external DNS server on the Internet to perform the real resolution of the FQDN to IP cope with. The deal with 192.168.0. Forty-nine is an internal private device in my community, whereas sixty-four. One hundred and five.197.Fifty-eight is an outside public Internet DNS server and a gift simply if my router has trouble appearing the DNS resolution tasks.
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 19, 2006, 6:38: sixteen PM
This information tells you whilst your pc received its IP deal with and different data from a DHCP server. You will note it says “Lease Obtained” because maximum DHCP servers best lease the IP deal with you from a pool of available cope. For instance, your pool can be 192.168.1.1 thru 192.168.1.50. So your DHCP server has 50 IP addresses to select from when assigning your pc its IP deal with.
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, March 29, 2006, nine:38: sixteen PM
When the IP deal with, assigned with the aid of the DHCP server, lease expires, it’s going to try to lease you the equal of any other IP address. This characteristic can generally be changed on the DHCP server. For instance, on some efficient DHCP servers, you could configure the Lease to in no way expire or to run out inside 1 day and so forth.
Why Are MAC Addresses So Important And How Do They Work
To bounce lower back to MAC address for simply a bit. You might imagine that IP addresses are the essential component when it comes to community verbal exchange. The reality is, MAC addresses are very critical due to the fact without them, computers could now not be able to communicate over Ethernet networks. When a computer wants to talk with any other laptop in a neighborhood community, it will make a broadcast request or ask a query of who owns a specific IP deal with. For example, your laptop may also say, “Who is 192.168.Zero.254”. Using the statistics above, my default gateway is 192.168.Zero.254 and could solution “I am “00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A” 192.168.Zero.254″. It sends back its MAC deal with. That MAC cope with then goes into what’s known as an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) desk on your laptop. You can see these records using going to the command activate like you probably did above and typing “are-a.” You get statistics like the following:
Internet Address Physical Address Type
192.168.0.49 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic
192.168.Zero.109 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic
192.168.0.112 00-0c-seventy six-93-ninety four-b2 dynamic
192.168.Zero.254 00-0e-2e-2e-15-61 dynamic
How A Hacker Can Use MAC Addresses In An Attack
You will note the IP addresses and, to the proper of them, the MAC addresses. Without this information, without the MAC address, you will no longer be reading this text right now. MAC addresses aren’t routable like IP addresses. The paintings on your local or private network. However, devices on the Internet carry out the same responsibilities. Routers and switches hold a listing in their peer gadgets MAC address similar to your computer systems and gadgets in your private home or workplace community.
I cited above that MAC addresses may be changed so one can redirect requests. For example, if I were to your workplace network and also you had an inner net server that took non-public facts as entering, I may want to tell your laptop to visit my computer for the web site by broadcasting my MAC address tied to the real net servers IP deal with. I would do this while you pc asked, “Who is the “Real Web Server.” I ought to set up a fake net server that appears much like the real component and begin collecting facts the real internet server might commonly accumulate. You can see how risky this may be.
Conclusion
There are numerous other clean approaches you could discover your MAC cope with. However, they can be a little puzzling when you have multiple internal network cards. Most outside USB or PCMCIA stressed, and wireless Ethernet playing cards have their MAC address printed on them. In cases wherein the stressed or wireless network card is inside your computer, including laptops, the MAC address is every so often published on the lowest of the pc. Even Desktop structure cards inserted in PCI slots have the MAC cope with imprinted on the Ethernet card.
