IP encryption

[deathagent]

I guess my queston now turns into: "How do wireless networks filter Windows' OS' and is there anyway to get around it?"

 

[x0r515t]

MAC address-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address

 

[x0r515t]

I guess my queston now turns into: "How do wireless networks filter Windows' OS' and is there anyway to get around it?"

I'm sure the network your describing is using MAC address filtering. You say your trying to connect to a wireless network of some kind, so most likely if this network really only allows certain computers to connect, the network is most likely filtering each machine by MAC address, which BTW is hardware specific not software.

MAC address filtering in wireless networks is actually more common than you would think, and certainly more secure than just encrypting your connection. Basically there is a database of allowed MACs and anything not in the database is not allowed to connect to the network.

 

[dyserq]

What dyserq said sounds about right. I want to convince a network that my windows xp machine is actually an apple running a mac OS.

I think what deathagent meant was that if there is any difference between a windows os ip address and apple os ip address, although the correct mac term is used to identify a computer on a network
I still don't think that there is a difference between ip addresses ...

 

[deathagent]

So all I have to do is find out the allowed mac address(s) and then change my computer's mac address, as described in the link posted by x0r515t, to gain access to the network?

 

[catalyst1]

I'm sure the network your describing is using MAC address filtering. You say your trying to connect to a wireless network of some kind, so most likely if this network really only allows certain computers to connect, the network is most likely filtering each machine by MAC address, which BTW is hardware specific not software.

MAC address filtering in wireless networks is actually more common than you would think, and certainly more secure than just encrypting your connection. Basically there is a database of allowed MACs and anything not in the database is not allowed to connect to the network.

This doesn't take into account separate wireless cards. For example, if you have a PowerBook or whatever, you can get a PCMCIA wireless card to access a wireless network. The card itself has the MAC address, so it wouldn't know if it was plugged into your PowerBook or any other laptop running any other OS. \MAC addresses are the same as IP addresses in terms of OS filtering: there is none.

In order for a network to filter by OS, it would have to ask the host what OS it is running. That isn't hard to do. Your computer would communicate this information to the network, and the network would decided whether to allow you or not. THE NETWORK CANNOT DETERMINE YOUR OS BY IP OR MAC ADDRESS.

 

[deathagent]

You bring up a good point. This leads me to believe that the MAC address filtering filters the MAC addresses of different types of cards, which makes more sense. To get around this I could either try to change my cards' MAC address somehow or buy a card typically used in Apple computers and install it in my laptop. Does it sound like either idea would work or am I still way off?

 

[dyserq]

Hmm first off there is no way that you can just buy a apple card
Second of all, i still don't believe it will work

 

[x0r515t]

So all I have to do is find out the allowed mac address(s) and then change my computer's mac address, as described in the link posted by x0r515t, to gain access to the network?

Theoretically yes, if this network is indeed filtering by MAC address. Heres a link that may be of use to you:
http://www.nthelp.com/NT6/change_mac_w2k.htm

I will say, if you can sniff the MAC address of an existing network node, it is possible to join the network using the MAC address of that node. I better not share the details though, because even if I do, the mods will just erase it.

MAC addresses are the same as IP addresses in terms of OS filtering: there is none.

Did I ever say this network was using OS filtering? No I didn't. Maybe you should read up on MAC address filtering:
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wirelessproducts/qt/macaddress.htm

You bring up a good point. This leads me to believe that the MAC address filtering filters the MAC addresses of different types of cards, which makes more sense.

BINGO! thats what I was saying the whole time...has nothing to do with the OS...as I said earlier MAC addresses are hardware specific not software. Although here is an interesting link:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/nufw-devel/2004-09/msg00002.html

 

[deathagent]

Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu! (Thank You Very Much, super formal) The information all of you have given me has helped, especially the link at the end there with the directions for changing MAC address(es). Unfortunately, I will not be able to test it for about another month or so, but it sounds like I have a pretty good chance of succeeding!