It is believed that the so-called MAC address of a computer or mobile device, which at some point connects to the Internet, is a unique characteristic of any network adapter and cannot be changed for purely technical reasons. Despite this, sometimes a change is necessary. How to change the MAC address of a computer or mobile device using some software methods will be discussed later. But first, let's figure out why such actions may be needed and whether this is possible in principle.
Why do I need to change the MAC address and can I change it at all?
The most common situations when this parameter may need to be changed are those when the provider that provides Internet access or local area network connections is connected using the MAC address of each specific terminal. Simply put, if you decide to replace your computer, say, with a newer model, which has completely different equipment, this may be necessary, since the network adapter, which acts as a connecting link, has a completely different identifier. The MAC address of any network card is “wired” into the device and represents a unique combination that never repeats anywhere, similar to IP. Such a predefined parameter cannot be changed without using special tools in the form of programmers. But here it is possible to set the value of this parameter, which is involved in binding a computer terminal or mobile device to the provider’s service, with rather simple methods.
How to change the MAC address of a Windows computer through network adapter settings?
Initially, it must be taken into account that the user must know the exact address that will be set in the system settings. For its designation, a hexadecimal number system is used. It is not necessary to start entering new parameters with values in the form “0” and there is no need to use additional colons, and the addresses should be completed exclusively with numbers 2 and 6 or letters A and E in the English keyboard layout. Without observing these conditions, you can not even try to set the necessary parameters.
Now, on how to change the MAC address on different types of devices, let us dwell in more detail. In principle, in all Windows operating systems, you can get to changes in network adapter settings through the properties of active network connections in the corresponding section of the Control Panel. However, it is much easier to immediately call the “Device Manager” (devmgmt.msc in the Run menu) and go to the properties section of the network card, the settings of which need to be changed. How to change the MAC address in these settings?
On the tab of additional parameters in the list you need to find the item "Network Address" (Network Address), and in the field located to the right above, enter the desired combination of twelve characters, including numbers and letters. After this, you should definitely save the changes and either deactivate the adapter itself and then turn it back on, or simply restart the computer.
Change registry settings
If we talk about how to change the MAC address by all means available in the operating system, you can not ignore the use of registry settings. This technique looks a bit more complicated, but it works no less efficient than the previous version. In addition, this method is almost the only acceptable if changing the MAC address in the adapter properties is impossible or there is no such item. To perform the necessary actions, you need to call the registry editor (regedit), in the HKLM branch, find the folder with the name {4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
Here, you will need to enter exactly the directory that contains the adapter parameters for which you need to change the address (you can determine its type using the DriverDesc key), in the window on the right, through RMB, create a new string parameter with the name NetworkAddress, go into editing and double-click desired value without the use of colons. When the actions are complete, the computer should be restarted.
How to change the MAC address on Android?
As for mobile systems, as an example, consider devices running Android OS. To change the address, you first need to enter the device’s engineering menu using special access combinations or third-party applications like MTK Engineering Mode or MobileUncle Tools (developer mode must be turned on). For convenience, let's see how to change the MAC address using the first application.
In it you need to go into the settings, select the Connectivity section and go to W-Fi, where to use the NVRAM section. To access the address you need to fill in the following fields:
- addr (h, byte) - 4;
- length (byte) - 6.
After that, the desired address appears in the value (h) line, which can be deleted and a new one entered, then saved (Write).
3rd party software
Finally, in order not to engage in independent searches for the necessary parameters in Windows-based systems, the easiest way is to use a small utility called Technitium MAC Address Changer, in which you just need to select the desired device, set a new address for it and click the change button (Change Now!), After whereupon the initial parameter will be replaced automatically, and, based on expert feedback, even without the need for a mandatory system reboot.
And, as already clear, this technique is the simplest. As for mobile systems, in addition to developer mode, you may need to have root rights, which in the simplest case can be obtained by installing the special Kingo Root driver.