Re: Microsoft and MACs

[Nicholas Petreley <nicholas@petreley.com>]

Joe Moore wrote:
>
> 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.

Good point, but that wouldn't eliminate sniffing as a motive, would it?  

> 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.

It is possible that this is exactly what Microsoft is doing.  Since 
almost every computer comes with Windows (and therefore already have
different registration #s), multiple registration #s with different 
MAC addresses would stick out like a sore thumb.  

I looked at the number that precedes the MAC address and it doesn't 
seem to have any obvious connection to the # on the Windows CD, but
I could be missing something. 

It still wouldn't explain why they embed the code in a document, 
but that might just be programmer laziness.  

Then again, the whole thing could just boil down to laziness or
stupidity. 

-Nick


***********************************
Nicholas Petreley 
IDG Conferences, LinuxWorld,
InfoWorld

nicholas@petreley.com
http://www.petreley.com
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