This would be by second go around trying to change the mac address with the new macbook M1. Currently I'm using the older (2012) macbook with Catalina for work and changing everything is simple and easy. Has anyone found a work around for the new mac with M1? My old system needs to be replaced and I'd like to get the new macbook but might have to settle for one of the older 2012's again? Anyone have some advice?
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M1 changing mac address
- Thread starter LPCKyle
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I don't think that's possible and I don't know why you would ever want to do change your mac address.
If the Mac is used in a work environment, I'd suggest working with your IT people so that they would be able to update your MAC address. I've heard of some voodoo to synthetically alter it, but I would not recommend going that route. None-the-less, work with your IT staff.
No you can't. It's hardcoded to the hardware.
If by some reason you come to get some software that spoofs it, you'll learn that the ordeal to make it work is a pain.
As sheepish asked, why would you want to change your MAC address? IP address are obvious, not sure I have ever come across a need to change my MAC address or even heard of anyone wanting to change it.
Following are notes I wrote on what I used to do under Lion and Mountain Lion to change the MAC address on a MBP (for testing server and security software). I used to use this quite often, but I haven't tested it recently so I don't know whether it still works under Monterey and on M1 Macs. (Reading the man page on "ifconfig", however, indicates that it should still work on Monterey and M1.)
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
#++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
# Mac OS X Lion: Change MAC address:
# The following command reads the current MAC address:
OLDMAC=`ifconfig en0 | grep ether | awk '{print $2}'`
echo " MAC address: $OLDMAC"
# The following command gets a random MAC address:
RNDMAC=`openssl rand -hex 6 | sed 's/\(..\)/\1:/g; s/.$//'`
echo " Random MAC address: $RNDMAC"
# The following command sets a random new MAC address:
sudo ifconfig en0 ether `echo $RNDMAC`
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
# The following command resets the original MAC address:
sudo ifconfig en0 ether `echo $OLDMAC`
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
# Alias:
alias changemac='sudo ifconfig en0 ether $(openssl rand -hex 6 | sed '\''s/\(..\)/\1:/g; s/.$//'\'')'
changemac
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
#++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
# Mac OS X Lion: Change MAC address:
# The following command reads the current MAC address:
OLDMAC=`ifconfig en0 | grep ether | awk '{print $2}'`
echo " MAC address: $OLDMAC"
# The following command gets a random MAC address:
RNDMAC=`openssl rand -hex 6 | sed 's/\(..\)/\1:/g; s/.$//'`
echo " Random MAC address: $RNDMAC"
# The following command sets a random new MAC address:
sudo ifconfig en0 ether `echo $RNDMAC`
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
# The following command resets the original MAC address:
sudo ifconfig en0 ether `echo $OLDMAC`
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
# Alias:
alias changemac='sudo ifconfig en0 ether $(openssl rand -hex 6 | sed '\''s/\(..\)/\1:/g; s/.$//'\'')'
changemac
sudo ifconfig en0 down
sudo ifconfig en0 up
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Well, some organizations have pretty strict security and have the MAC address defined to the DHCP server to assign the proper IP address to it. It's certainly nothing unusual in Windows land. (anything not defined to the DHCP server gets a guest IP address that has it's own subnet that isn't routed to the working subnet.) Changing the MAC address makes it easier for the user to hook in a new machine without involving IT.
Homebrew at your service:
- From Terminal app, install mac-spoof with HomeBrew
- brew install spoof-mac
- Option-click on the wi-fi menu bar item in MacOS to get the interface name (typically en0, sometimes en1)
- Temporarily disconnect from wi-fi by going to the Wi-Fi menu and toggling the current Wi-F network so that it’s not longer connected
- At the command line, use the mac-spoof command to e.g. generate a random MAC address and change the network interface at en0 to that:
- sudo spoof-mac randomize en0
- or use a specific one… on e.g. en1, en2, wherever
- Return to the wi-fi menu and now re-connect to Wi-Fi on the Mac, the new MAC address should immediately take effect
It's actually marketed as a privacy feature.
https://support.apple.com/guide/security/wi-fi-privacy-secb9cb3140c/web
Much prior to that it was the commonly used MAC spoofing feature on routers for broadband providers that lock it to one client.
This is confirmed to work with Monterey 12.4 default tools on M1 without having to install any additional software:
https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/684745?answerId=707230022#707230022
First, disassociate from any network:
sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -z
Then change your lladdr:
sudo ifconfig en0 lladdr 00:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
Then rejoin the WLAN normally.
https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/684745?answerId=707230022#707230022
First, disassociate from any network:
sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -z
Then change your lladdr:
sudo ifconfig en0 lladdr 00:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
Then rejoin the WLAN normally.