HO needs my MAC address?

I just got to a sit for the next five nights and I can’t connect to wifi. I told the HO and she said it’s finicky and she wants my MAC address to connect me to it remotely. Is this safe? I work online but this makes me uncomfortable. I googled it and people say it’s no big deal BUT also say it can be used to track location and the sites you visit. I’m not cool with that. The sites are kinda whatever but no one needs the location of my MacBook. I’m tech challenged so I don’t understand it at all.

If you want to work online and she’s a tech then yes it’s a pretty common request. If you trust her (hopefully yes with the THS ethos and all that) then I’d do it. Have done something similar in the UK through work and it was fine :+1:t3:

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It’s more about my job than trust. I’ll get fired if anyone finds out what specifically I do. There’s a lot of contracts and stuff that say I have to hide my location, activity, etc. I don’t get why someone would need something that can track my location in the future and monitor what I’m doing.

They don’t need your location, they need to remotely log you into their computer as they’re not there in person. What’s plan b? :thinking: if it’s that risky as in firing don’t do it. Hotspot off your phone or buy an extra data card @Looney

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Some networks have added security (mine has) and depending on the set up the MAC address simply gives the router authority to connect to the device to the network. There is no long term security issue I can think of.

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I am a therapist I travel full time and I do not use any home based wifi for work due to privacy?? lol nothing is private but i digress

I have a work computer with a portable router plugging into my cell account. Amazon sells portable routers.

When I am on a sit and use the hosts wifi they can see me on tiktok and facebook marketplace looking for stuff to buy like a bike or a coat and playing rummikub. LOL.

Happy Thursday !!! :grinning:

The MAC address is essentially a unique hardware address for every device that can make a network connection. No 2 network devices have the same one. It is perfectly safe to give it to her. Every wifi router you have ever connected to has stored a copy of it while you connected so it really isn’t a secret. No-one is going to use it to track you (other than probably google who are doing it right now anyway)
It’s completely safe.

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If your work needs that level of privacy, using others’ WiFi is actually risky. You’d be better off doing as @blissbyskye does.

If you successfully connect to Wi-Fi, your laptop’s MAC address will be stored in the router, making it accessible to your host (and anyone else who can access the router).

However, if you fail to connect to Wi-Fi, your host may remotely connect to the router and assist you by manually entering your MAC address.
No device MAC address/router connection, no Wi-Fi access.

Added p.s. Note, your MAC address is stored on every single router you are connected to

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Having it stored on a router and no confirmation which is specifically mine is different than me giving my exact one to someone making them know which is mine exactly

You’re not going to get tracked with your MAC address. It is passed only to the device you are connecting to. It cannot be tracked without privileged access to the the network device you are connected to or one you have connected to. It would be the equivalent of trying to track where you have been by swabbing lampposts and door handles in random streets in every city in the world and testing the DNA.
If the owner is asking for this then they probably know it’s the only way to get you on the WiFi. Their WiFi may actually be locked down to the point this is required.
At this point you probably have 2 choices - give them the information or finish the sit with no WiFi.
Here is my MAC address - anyone want to tell me what country I am in? - 00:BF:AF:36:11:2A