If you want to change your Mac address on Windows and Mac, we’ve already covered it. But what if you want to change your Mac address on a Chromebook? It’s possible? While you can’t change the physical address of your Mac because it is connected to the network hardware installed on your Chromebook device, there are ways to change the address of your Internet connection to increase your level of security.
A second question you may also have is where to find the Mac address on your Chromebook. This article will explain in detail how to find your Mac address on your Chromebook and how to spoof your IP address to protect your anonymity online.
Where is the Mac address on my Chromebook?
Locating the Mac address on your Chromebook is very easy. Simply navigate to the bottom right of your Chromebook screen and then click where your profile photo is displayed.
- Next, click on the gear icon, which will take you to your Chromebook’s settings.
- In Settings, under Internet Connection, click the Wi-Fi connection you’re using, and then click it again in the list.
- Then, you will see a box that has all the information about your Wi-Fi network. Your Chromebook’s Mac address is where it says Hardware Address.
Another method that can be used to find the Mac address on your Chromebook is:
- Open your Google Chrome browser.
- Then, in the address bar, type “chrome://system” and press Enter on your keyboard.
- In the Chrome browser window, About your Chromebook system information details appear.
- Scroll down to where it says “ifconfig.” Then, click the Expand button.
- When you are connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, where it says; wlan0 next to the word ether the Mac address appears.
Finally, here is the third and final way to locate the Mac address on your Chromebook device.
- Click on your profile photo at the bottom right.
- Then, click on your Internet connection, which opens a network box showing your connected Wi-Fi and other people around you.
- Then, click the “i” in the gray circle next to the gear icon in the same Network window. It shows you the IP address and your Wi-Fi, which is the number of your Mac address.
Now that you have found the Mac address on your Chromebook using whatever method appeals to you, let’s move on to how you can change the Mac address on your Chromebook device.
Change the Mac address on your Chromebook
To change the Mac address on your Chromebook, you will need to be in developer mode. Note that this also makes your Chromebook a little less protected when doing so, as there is a layer of security that is lost when you enter this mode. It will also erase everything on your Chromebook, so make sure you’ve backed up everything beforehand.
Once you have logged into your Chromebook device in developer mode, you will need to enter the Croshor Command Shell developer. You will do it from the Chrome browser. Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. This opens the command line in the Chrome browser.
Now you can briefly change your Mac address on your Chromebook device by typing the following commands for a Wi-Fi connection;
- “sudo ifconfig wlan0 down”
- “sudo ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 00:11:22:33:44:55” (or whatever you want as your fake Mac address)
- “sudo ifconfig wlan0 up”
These commands turn off your Internet connection so you can change your Mac address and then turn it back on once completed.
The commands for a Chromebook device connected to Ethernet are:
- “sudo ifconfig eth0 down”
- “sudo ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:11:22:33:44:55” (or whatever you want as your fake Mac address)
- “sudo ifconfig eth0 up”
Ok, now you should have been able to change the Mac address temporarily on your Chromebook, while in developer mode. When you restart your Chromebook device, the Mac address reverts to the original Mac address because it is assigned to the network device.
Every time you want to change your Mac address on your Chromebook, you will need to follow the steps above every time you restart your Chromebook and need to spoof your real Mac address.
Using a VPN on your Chromebook
You can also use a VPN (virtual private network) connection to spoof your Internet IP (Internet Protocol) address. Doing so will make it appear that your connection to the web is coming from a different location, not where you are actually connected.
- Go to Internet Connection Settings just like we did in the first way to find your Mac address.
- Under Internet Connection, you will add a connection. Then click on the plus button where it says Add Connection. Next, select OpenVPN/L2TP.
You will need your VPN (virtual private network) provider information to enter in the following steps. If you already have one, simply get the necessary information and proceed to set it up on your Chromebook. Otherwise, there are some free VPN providers or many popular paid VPN service providers available on the internet. Finding a good option, comparing the different services, and delving into how different providers handle privacy deserves its own article, as it involves a little more than can be delved into in a short aside, but private Internet access is one that we use.
Here’s the box that appears on your Chromebook screen and the information you’ll need to set up the VPN.
Once you have entered the required information, check the box that says Save identity and password to easily connect to the Internet through your VPN in the future. Then click the connect button. The connection to your VPN is established and you are ready to browse and socialize online anonymously.
That’s all about it. Choose one of three ways to locate your Chromebook’s Mac address. Whether you need it for reference or are just curious, now you know how to do it. Then, access the command shell to change your Mac address while in developer mode on your Chromebook. You can also set up a VPN connection from your Chromebook for those times when you want your real location to remain anonymous or for your own privacy reasons. After all, it sometimes seems like privacy doesn’t really exist on large parts of the Internet, but there are still ways to maximize the amount of privacy available to the end consumer.
