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Thread: MAC address

  1. #1
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    MAC address

    Hello all!
    I have a friend which computer was stolen several weeks ago. Yesterday we were speaking about the theft and that the police was unable to catch the thieves.
    Suddenly an idea came in our minds.
    A lot of people in Bulgaria a connecting to internet through LAN networks (so do I).
    We know the MAC address of the LAN card. Is it possible to detect if a computer with the same MAC address is connected to internet? And then to find the IP?
    What do you think about it?
    Remember, all I\'m offering is the truth, nothing more.

  2. #2
    Just Another Geek
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    Re: MAC address

    Originally posted here by Danielsd
    We know the MAC address of the LAN card. Is it possible to detect if a computer with the same MAC address is connected to internet? And then to find the IP?
    Sorry, really short answer: No..

    Somewhat longer answer, if you know how a network works you also know why this isn't going to work.. You (as the one looking for someone's MAC) can only "see" the MAC addresses of the machines on your own subnet.. So, unless they've hooked up the stolen laptop on the exact same subnet as yours, you will not be able to detect the stolen computer..
    Oliver's Law:
    Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

  3. #3
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    What about if we ask the ISP to look for the MAC address?
    Our LAN network is really big - more than 1 000 computers.
    Remember, all I\'m offering is the truth, nothing more.

  4. #4
    Senior Member bAgZ's Avatar
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    If you had something like this http://www.stealthsignal.com on your box to phone home you probably would have had more luck. Might be something to consider in future.

  5. #5
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi,Danielsd and Merry Christmas,

    I can vouch for the effectiveness of bAgZ suggested solution as I trialed something similar five or six years ago.

    I believe that SirDice has given you a good technical answer. I would add that most ISPs are not interested anyway...............after all, if I come from behind a router, all they see is one "customer" with a different "user" for each connection? AFAIK the ISP is only talking to your router, and your router handles things after that.

    With a stand alone machine making a direct connection, you would have a slightly better chance, but I have no idea how you would get the police and ISP interested enough?.................there would be no chance with professional thieves/dealers.

  6. #6
    Master-Jedi-Pimps0r & Moderator thehorse13's Avatar
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    If you had something like this http://www.stealthsignal.com on your box to phone home you probably would have had more luck. Might be something to consider in future.
    It's important to understand how this solution works. It's software based and requires the crook to connect to the internet or a telephone line.

    This makes several assumptions. The first is that the crook didn't use something like NTPASSWD cracker and broke in to wipe the HD clean. The second thing it assumes is that the person was able to login and simply decided to use the machine as is.

    While most poeple who don't understand the first thing about computers may take this route, anyone with even an intermediate level of knowledge will most likely not take the path needed for this to work.

    That said, I would go with a hardware based solution so that even if the person throws the HD in a lake and buys a new one, the tracking device still works.

    --Th13
    Our scars have the power to remind us that our past was real. -- Hannibal Lecter.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hoss~ is quite correct, it is really down to the quality of thief?

    Over here you will get a junkie steal a laptop for the price of its next fix.................you will get people who will buy it in a bar because it is cheap?

    On the other hand, you will get people who will break into your site and steal 1,000 boxes...............you will not catch those................they are professionals..............any software or hardware devices will be disabled?

    My personal approach is the removable HDD chassis...............costs around 20 bucks and has cooling fans thrown in..................lock that in a butterfly cabinet and you keep your data and software secure, and the machine is not very attractive to the junkie thief, because it does not work.

    Errrrr..................have two of them in a RAID1 array

    Just my £0.02

  8. #8
    Shrekkie Reloaded Raiden's Avatar
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    Or you could write a nice little script that automatically sends sumtin back (e.g. a mail) from where he resides, done at bootup ...
    Easily stoppable yes, but then again, the chance that a thief boots up at least once to see whats on the disk is imo very high. Of course internet connectivity is required.

    The things horsie said, is of course better, but a little script should be fairly easy and is certainly free and might even work.

    Just 2 of my ogrenuts,

  9. #9
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    Thank you all for the replies!
    My friend doesn't have a lap top - his personal computer was stolen .
    I think that to have GPS in your lap top is the best way to catch a thief - on the other side - you can be always tracked(but that was always possible )
    Again: thank you for the help.
    Remember, all I\'m offering is the truth, nothing more.

  10. #10
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi, sorry, I thought it was a laptop.

    For desktops, this is my preferred solution:

    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...ive_Racks.html

    Scroll down until you get to Vantec

    They mostly sell them on data transportability and moving stuff between computers. However, they are used in military/defence environments for data security.

    They do have the added advantage in that once the drive is removed, the PC is pretty useless. There is a gaping 5.25" bay and you don't have a blanking off plate.

    Also, without the HDD you have no operating system and no software.

    This makes the whole thing relatively unattractive to a thief because of the cost and effort required to get the machine into a saleable condition.


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