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Forum Discussion
iPhone Random generated MAC addresses
My RAX80 is set to REJECT new devices. My iPhone is registered as an ALLOWED device via it's HARD MAC address as are various other devices. But at least the iPhones and iPads now use Random generated...
I understand Apple and other smartphone suppliers using for some time now random addresses is for network privacy improvements.
This is intended mainly when connecting to public or 3rd party Wi-Fi networks. There is no reason for adding MAC any privacy on connecting to your very own network.
Adding privacy from yourself, where you certainly know who is behind each device connecting anyway?
You can disable the random MAC address - Apple does talk of "Private WiFi addresses" just to add confusion ->
Use private Wi-Fi addresses on Apple devices - worth reading completely. In fact you can turn this feature off when connecting to your very own networks, because this *** can cause different unexpected issues.
There is no reason for adding MAC any privacy on connecting to your very own network.
I agree, but wanted to point out that the current default settings in iOS won't create any issues here, since the MAC address is always the same.
FWIW, Android has a similar feature.
I agree, but wanted to point out that the current default settings in iOS won't create any issues here, since the MAC address is always the same.
The random MAC does change when deleting the wireless network, and add the same network again.
Further on, Apple does state "To improve privacy, your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro identifies itself to each network using a different Wi-Fi address, and might rotate (change) the address periodically." here (again):
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102509
Android has a similar feature.
Yes, but they don't use such a *** technically meaningless name like a "private Wi-Fi address".
My iPhone is registered as an ALLOWED device via it's HARD MAC address as are various other devices.
There is simply no way to build any relation between the random MAC and the hardware MAC address. That's the key intention #1 of this "design".
Further on, Apple does state "To improve privacy, your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro identifies itself to each network using a different Wi-Fi address, and might rotate (change) the address periodically." here (again):
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102509"Might" only when set to rotate.
" Fixed: When set to Fixed, your device uses a private address, but the private address doesn’t rotate, regardless of the network's security or length of time since you last joined the network. Your device chooses Fixed by default when joining a new network that uses WPA2 or stronger security."
Wi-Ko: I was assuming that your RAX80 isn't set up to use open (unencrypted) wifi. If you were using that, then the default setting on the Apple devices would be "Rotating". I was also assuming iOS 18 or later.
The random MAC does change when deleting the wireless network, and add the same network again.
Only if you wait 24 hours or longer before adding the network again. Which would be unlikely in the case of a home network.
Yes, but they don't use such a *** technically meaningless name like a "private Wi-Fi address".
I agree that "Randomized MAC" is a better name.
