I heard this from a reputable person. They stated that Google is validating and banning users via their NIC MAC address. Does this make sense to the advanced users here?
Well considering the MAC address can't be read by Google (or anyone else), I would say that's a solid "no, they aren't". The farthest hop down the network that your MAC address can be seen is at your gateway. The gateway does not relay MAC address info at the TCP/IP level (or any level).
Shawn -- if you (or rather, if I) run the https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 test it returns my MAC Address. I don't think it's suspposed to be released, but it definitely can be.
That is not MAC address that is listed on that page, it's your IP address, which is different. MAC address is a unique address that is on your network card.
If you go to the "File Sharing" test it shows your MAC address. I think most people know the difference between an IP Address and a MAC address...
I don't see how Google or anyone else is going to get your MAC Address. Now if you don't have a firewall or if you're allowing NetBIOS access into your Windows PC (TCP 137-139, TCP 445) then theoretically Google or anyone else *could* get your MAC address...because Windows gives up WAY too much information just by doing a null session over NetBIOS..i.e., an anonymous connection to ipc$ on windows... But if you have a firewall (software or hardware), i can't see how your mac address would ever be relayed to a website.. - dave
If you would want to know a user's mac address, you just should create a toolbar that everyone wants to install. But personally I don't think google is that interested in a mac address.. a unique personal cookie will do
that is diplaying your hostname, a mac address looks like something along the line of this format: fe80::240:f4ff:feda
@jeremy: Click on the Proceed button, it will try to connect to port 139 of that IP address ; which should fail
Correct, though some USB modems do In any event the MAC address is not included in the IP Packet, so no one will ever see your MAC.
Shows absolutely nothing for me. Nothing, nada, no MAC. But then again, I am using a Mac (not MAC address) but Mac IN tosh... No port 139. My guess is 139 is open on your windoze box and that is what is being contacted for MAC information. I doubt Google is scanning port 139 for MACs. Especially since most people are not inept enough to leave that port open
I assume that means that you've got port 139 poen or you allow netbios access to your machines. If you're seeing your mac address reported, then it means you need to sort your shit out. Those ports should never be open to the internet. People can get alsorts of information from your machine if it's configured to be as secure as a sieve. I see no mac addresses reported on that page.
I doubt the majority of the population knows or cares about port 139. I certainly don't. I don't have anything shared, they can steal my MAC address all they like.
Even if having port 139 on a Windows machine open could report the MAC address back to someone that requested it, Google's not going to be sending probes into your machine. It would be easily detectable and would become a public relations/privacy nightmare for them.
Oh, contrar, but we do... In fact, as an ISP, we block Port 139 as do probably 99.9999% of ISP's. There's some really nasty things one can do to a computer that is open
Indeed, anyone leaving ports open to the internet - regardless of what they think is running or not - deserves everything they get. Having said that, many many userrs simply know no better.