On Dec 18, 2007 10:38 AM, Grant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > A guy in an online forum where I'm trying to get help with my Cox > internet service wants me to PM him my modem's MAC address so he can > check my connection in some way. He appears to be a Cox > representative, but what ill could he do with this info? Just target > me, right? > > - Grant > -- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list > > Damn if this isn't one of the most off-topic posts ever...
Anyways, I work in cable modem tech support. He can't access your modem directly since it has a private IP address (10.x.x.x), even if he does have the MAC address; he'd have to have access to your PC behind the modem (if he had your public IP and proper access) or some server that sits on that private network -- and have access to the encryption, since cable modems encrypt from end-to-end (modem to CTMS, which is basically the cable modem system router). So yes, I'd say it's safe to give him the MAC. If he truly is a Cox rep, he can pull up your internet account by the MAC address and check modem power levels, signals, possible area issues (depends on how advanced the software he uses to check this information is). -- - Mark Shields
