Re: Microsoft and MACs

[Joe Moore <joemoore@cs.uky.edu>]

On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Nicholas Petreley wrote:

> 
> Even assuming the motive for use of the MAC address is entirely 
> innocent, this is really bad database design.  If all Microsoft 
> wants to do is create a unique ID for a key field in a the user 
> database at Microsoft, the easiest and most reliable way to do 
> that is to write the registration application to create a unique 
> key on the fly **at the Microsoft database** when the program 
> inserts the new record.  This solve a lot of problems, not the
> least of which is that you use the same method of registering 
> customers without network cards as you do for customers with
> network cards. 
The problem with this approach is that I never click the "register" button
on my software products, so M$ would not be able to get personal
information from me by this mechanism.

MAC addresses only need to be unique on a single LAN, for example
ethernet.  IP and higher level protocols strip the MAC address (or ignore
it) when the packets pass through a router.  So, M$ couldn't spoof packets
unless they have a connection onto your ethernet.  

A more reasonable approach would be to include in the UID the MAC address
and the registration number.  That way, if many machines on the same LAN
use the same registration #, that would be apparent from all the documents
created.  Could this be a piracy thing?  (I doubt it, but possible? --
mostly corporate computers have had an ethernet card in the recent
past.)  i.e. there are 15 different MAC addresses linked to this one
registration key.  Call the company and make sure they have 15 licenses.


> 
> In view of the above (and lacking a better explanation), I'm 
> left to assume Microsoft wants the MAC address for some 
> other reason. 
> 
> -Nick
> 
> 
> Wandered Inn wrote:
> > 
> > I have to apologize, as I've not followed this thread completely, but
> > based on previous posting in reference to registering the MAC, it
> > appears to me that this value certainly could not be unique, based on
> > the number of NICs in the field.  This being the case, how could it be
> > used to track someone?  I am totally ignorant of this MAC identifier.
> > Could someone please enlighten me?
> > 
> > --
> > Until later: Geoffrey           esoteric@denali.atlnet.com
> > 
> > You mean you paid MONEY for Service Pack '98????
> 
> -- 
> 
> ***********************************
> Nicholas Petreley 
> IDG Conferences, LinuxWorld,
> InfoWorld
> 
> nicholas@petreley.com
> http://www.petreley.com
> ***********************************
> 


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