Reading MAC Adresses.

[Dieter]

Hi guys,

I need to be able to read Mac addresses from a website as soon a user has logged in. Wich classes can i use for that? Or maybe a better question... Wich one is the best?

Thanks in advance,

Dieter

[gcalvin]

Which version? In Java SE 6, there is java.net.NetworkInterface.

Be careful of your assumptions here. MAC addresses are easily spoofed, and Internet connections are often shared, so a MAC address does not guarantee a unique host, let alone a unique session.

-Gary-

[Dieter]

Thanks for the reply Gary.

The point of the mac registration is that users can only use 1 computer for using the website. So they need to register another computer to use the same account. I will also have a look at the java.net.NetworkInterface.

PS: The registerd mac adres will be saved in an SQL DB.

Best regards,

Dieter

[gcalvin]

MAC address will not do that for you. One MAC address is not equivalent to one computer. For instance, there could be twenty, fifty, a hundred PCs behind a firewall, and you'll see them all as the same MAC address -- the MAC address of the firewall. Also, one computer often has more than one network adapter (wired and Wi-Fi, for instance) and therefore more than one MAC address. And as I said, it is trivially easy to change the MAC address that a web site will see. Therefore, checking the MAC address will not enable you to enforce the restriction you want. You will frustrate your legitimate users, and you will not even slow down people who want to break your rules.

There is really no simple way to do what you want to do, and even if you could do it, the workarounds are numerous and well-known. Don't waste your time trying.

-Gary-

[Dieter]

Alright Gary. Thank you for the information and the tips. I will have to find another way to do this then.

Again thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

Dieter