I have seen several questions address tracing a stolen laptop by the MAC address. Can someone explain EXACTLY how to do that? Mine was stolen and I'd love to get it back.
2007-09-04 07:25:31 · 5 answers · asked by grace07 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
I was moving and my external harddrive was in the bag. I think someone I thought was my friend took it and my jewelry. It hurts because I was sooo stupid..
2007-09-04 07:37:05 · update #1
Kiss it goodbye, unless you had it security marked, OR had call home software installed already.
Don't worry at least yuou have all your important files safe in the backups you took.
You DID take backups of vital files didn't you ?
2007-09-04 07:30:55 · answer #1 · answered by stu_the_kilted_scot 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The only way to track the mac address is if the laptop was connected DIRECTLY to the internet (not thru a router) - which is highly unlikely these days. Since the router handles all the WAN ethernet packets the local mac address is only ever known by the router. Network address translation (NAT) shows only the routers IP adddress and mac address for ann packets.
2007-09-11 08:09:38 · answer #2 · answered by Steve B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ethernet card has its own unique mac address, no 2 are the same. Do you even know the MAC address for your laptop? A MAC address has nothing to do with it being a Mac or PC. You won't be able to trace it by the MAC address.
Just hope he/she gets caught because that's the only way you will be able to get it back.
2007-09-04 14:47:13 · answer #3 · answered by s j 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your laptop was being used on your local network, then your MAC could be useful. I do not believe it will help across the would wide web, just to many layers of traffic it goes thru and the way the addressing gets tagged and re-tagged.
2007-09-04 14:34:05 · answer #4 · answered by ohio44903 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ITS GONE
2007-09-04 18:49:28 · answer #5 · answered by boonie2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋