MAC address question - Devices connected to my router

[Jam Sandwich]

So I'm a bit bored and decided to go through all the devices attached to my router and rename then so I know its a wifi switch for a pump etc...

While I can find some MAC's correspond to attached devices there are other devices that have completely different MACs to the addresses printed on the units (such as routers I'm using as AP's, some EZVis cameras and some Sonoff wifi switches) and I cant seem to match some devices to any MACs.

Is this normal, I though the MAC was an address that doesn't change and this is the easiest way to identify attached network devices?

 

[Lupus]

So I'm a bit bored and decided to go through all the devices attached to my router and rename then so I know its a wifi switch for a pump etc...

While I can find some MAC's correspond to attached devices there are other devices that have completely different MACs to the addresses printed on the units (such as routers I'm using as AP's and some Sonoff wifi switches) and I cant seem to match some devices to any MACs.

Is this normal, I though the MAC was an address that doesn't change and this is the easiest way to identify attached network devices?

WPA3, combined with modern operating systems (iOS 14+, Android 10+), enhances user privacy by using a randomized, "private" MAC address for Wi-Fi connections instead of the device's permanent hardware address.
Security thing

 

[SauRoNZA]

MAC addresses are unique to the CHIP being used and not necessarily always the device because a smaller scale vendor just outsources that to someone.

And then as above modern devices can spoof a MAC address for added security as well.

 

[Jam Sandwich]

Thanks for that. So there is no sure fire way to identify devices then really?

Will they randomise everytime they connect then? Any point in turning everything off and adding things one by one?

 

[Zurg]

Thanks for that. So there is no sure fire way to identify devices then really?

Will they randomise everytime they connect then? Any point in turning everything off and adding things one by one?

Depends on what your network infrastructure looks like.
Yes they will randomise each time they connect.

If they're your own devices and network I would turn off mac randomisation.
Usually the hostnames/dhcp fingerprint will give away what device it is.

You can use an app such as fing, it's pay to use but will allow you to do like three scans per day to identify what's on your network.
I don't know what capabilities your router has but an OS like openwrt would go a long way in assisting.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Thanks for that. So there is no sure fire way to identify devices then really?

Will they randomise everytime they connect then? Any point in turning everything off and adding things one by one?

Only if you leave the Mac privacy features enabled.

If you turn it off then it will stick to one static address you can use.

But ask yourself if there is really any value in knowing which device is where…answer is that it’s really a waste of time and serves no benefit.

If you want to identify them just give them proper hostnames.

 

[Ojcd45]

Modern phones would generally do randomised mac addresses.

Cctv Cameras, routers, sonoff, extremely unlikely. They'll be fixed mac addresses.

Note : The MAC address on a router's WAN port is different from the MAC address used when operating in Access Point mode.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Modern phones would generally do randomised mac addresses.

Cctv Cameras, routers, sonoff, extremely unlikely. They'll be fixed mac addresses.

Note : The MAC address on a router's WAN port is different from the MAC address used when operating in Access Point mode.

Good point on the WAN port, but you shouldn’t be seeing that on your LAN anyway unless something is very very wrong.

 

[Ojcd45]

Good point on the WAN port, but you shouldn’t be seeing that on your LAN anyway unless something is very very wrong.

He mentioned a mac address printed on the unit. So it's possible the wan mac address is printed on the unit.