Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Grant <emailgrant@×××××.com>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} Safe to post my MAC address?
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:06:59
Message-Id: 49bf44f10712180800w174a1e7m67354bce84bcb741@mail.gmail.com
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} Safe to post my MAC address? by Mark Shields
1 > > A guy in an online forum where I'm trying to get help with my Cox
2 > > internet service wants me to PM him my modem's MAC address so he can
3 > > check my connection in some way. He appears to be a Cox
4 > > representative, but what ill could he do with this info? Just target
5 > > me, right?
6 > >
7 > > - Grant
8 > > --
9 > > gentoo-user@g.o mailing list
10 > >
11 > >
12 >
13 > Damn if this isn't one of the most off-topic posts ever...
14 >
15 > Anyways, I work in cable modem tech support. He can't access your modem
16 > directly since it has a private IP address (10.x.x.x), even if he does have
17 > the MAC address; he'd have to have access to your PC behind the modem (if he
18 > had your public IP and proper access) or some server that sits on that
19 > private network -- and have access to the encryption, since cable modems
20 > encrypt from end-to-end (modem to CTMS, which is basically the cable modem
21 > system router). So yes, I'd say it's safe to give him the MAC. If he truly
22 > is a Cox rep, he can pull up your internet account by the MAC address and
23 > check modem power levels, signals, possible area issues (depends on how
24 > advanced the software he uses to check this information is).
25
26 Sorry and thank you.
27
28 - Grant
29 --
30 gentoo-user@g.o mailing list