For Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi, does Windows have the capability for...
1. MAC randomization *when scanning* 2. MAC randomization *per access
point* 3. MAC randomization *per connection*
4. Did I miss any critical timer periods?
BACKGROUND:
The motherships (Apple & Google & Samsung at least) are starting to be
aware of the privacy flaws inherent in having a permanent MAC address.
So they're sloooooooooowly providing, release by release, the inherent capability to randomize your MAC address during those three tasks.
This article back in 2014, shows the danger of NOT randomizing Wi-Fi:
 "When scanning for wireless networks, client devices like the  iPhone periodically broadcast identifying packets that include  the MAC
address. In recent years, a number of firms have taken  advantage of
these broadcasts to track individual devices as  they move around - for example, some retail outlets use MAC  address-based tracking to record
the path that consumers take  as they move through the store, allowing long-term measurement  of shopping habits and better placement of sale materials  and advertising."� <https://appleinsider.com/articles/14/06/09/mac-address-randomization-joins-apples-heap-of-ios-8-privacy-improvements>
And, this line in that same article shows the dangers with Bluetooth:
 "The city of Houston's TranStar traffic monitoring system,  for instance, uses the MAC addresses from Bluetooth devices  to measure
traffic flow on city streets."
The question I'm asking for this Windows newsgroup is whether Microsoft has added this capability to randomize the Bluetooth & Wi-Fi MAC during 3 times a. When scanning
b. When connecting (per access point)
c. When connecting (per connection)
An example of these types of settings on other platforms might be this: <https://i.postimg.cc/Rh87RNrV/macaddr02.jpg> Random MAC on every connect
Although it has implications for your home router LAN setup for static IPs. <https://i.postimg.cc/nchSVcmS/vysor30.jpg> Static/Reserved IP address
On 07/03/2023 20:23, Andy Burnelli wrote:
For Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi, does Windows have the capability for...
1. MAC randomization *when scanning* 2. MAC randomization *per access
point* 3. MAC randomization *per connection*
4. Did I miss any critical timer periods?
BACKGROUND:
The motherships (Apple & Google & Samsung at least) are starting to be
aware of the privacy flaws inherent in having a permanent MAC address.
So they're sloooooooooowly providing, release by release, the inherent
capability to randomize your MAC address during those three tasks.
This article back in 2014, shows the danger of NOT randomizing Wi-Fi:
"When scanning for wireless networks, client devices like the iPhone
periodically broadcast identifying packets that include the MAC
address. In recent years, a number of firms have taken advantage of
these broadcasts to track individual devices as they move around - for
example, some retail outlets use MAC address-based tracking to record
the path that consumers take as they move through the store, allowing
long-term measurement of shopping habits and better placement of sale
materials and advertising."
<https://appleinsider.com/articles/14/06/09/mac-address-randomization-joins-apples-heap-of-ios-8-privacy-improvements>
And, this line in that same article shows the dangers with Bluetooth:
"The city of Houston's TranStar traffic monitoring system, for
instance, uses the MAC addresses from Bluetooth devices to measure
traffic flow on city streets."
The question I'm asking for this Windows newsgroup is whether Microsoft has >> added this capability to randomize the Bluetooth & Wi-Fi MAC during 3 times >> a. When scanning
b. When connecting (per access point)
c. When connecting (per connection)
An example of these types of settings on other platforms might be this:
<https://i.postimg.cc/Rh87RNrV/macaddr02.jpg> Random MAC on every connect
Although it has implications for your home router LAN setup for static IPs. >> <https://i.postimg.cc/nchSVcmS/vysor30.jpg> Static/Reserved IP address
My Android mobile phone now defaults to some kind of MAC randomization.
It's damn annoying.
If I forget of disable it none of the public Wi-Fi access points I use
will let me use them without re-registering every time.
I don't fully understand what it's doing though, because my own home
Wi-Fi manages to give it the same IP address every time.
My Android mobile phone now defaults to some kind of MAC randomization.
It's damn annoying.
If I forget of disable it none of the public Wi-Fi access points I use
will let me use them without re-registering every time.
I don't fully understand what it's doing though, because my own home
Wi-Fi manages to give it the same IP address every time.
For Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi, does Windows have the capability for...
1. MAC randomization *when scanning* 2. MAC randomization *per access
point* 3.
The phone should remember per-SSID which random MAC it previously used
(or whether it used its hardware MAC) are you telling it to forget the
SSIDs after you use them ... some earlier firmware *did* use random
every time and they stopped for the reason you describe.
For Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi, does Windows have the capability for...
1. MAC randomization *when scanning* 2. MAC randomization *per access
point* 3.
Is "scanning" a listen-only activity?
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