Mac number

Mark Hope · 11-20-2012, 10:10 AM

A friend has a mac mini and pays around £40 per month + line rental to AOL. They wish to change ISP for a cheaper deal

but AOL won't release their mac number. Is there another way to find your mac number?

acme.mail.order · 11-21-2012, 04:51 AM

That sounds strange - the Media Access Control number is readily available in System Preferences and is not controlled in any way by your internet provider. Tell AOL to stuff it somewhere and tell your friend to buy a router.

trevor · 11-26-2012, 12:31 PM

Yes, even the statement 'AOL won't release their mac number' doesn't really make sense. AOL (or any internet service provider) can't control who you connect your computer to. Just call up whatever other ISP your friend wants and connect to them.

And if for some reason (unrelated to this) your friend wants to know their computer's MAC, there are lots of ways to see it. For example, one method is to launch Network Utility, found in /Applications/Utilities. It should start in the Info tab by default. At the top, it will say 'Hardware Address', and then there's a number similar to 00:26:08:0f:1b:6a. That's the MAC (of en0, usually the ethernet interface). If you want to see the MAC of your wireless interface (i.e. Airport), click the popup menu where it says 'Ethernet en0' and select 'Airport en1'.

Trevor

NovaScotian · 11-26-2012, 05:59 PM

I'm guessing that the original poster meant "tell him his MAC address" by "release their mac number". As AMO and trevor have pointed out, he doesn't need AOL to tell him anything.

benwiggy · 11-27-2012, 05:16 AM

Computers aren't like mobile phones. If you move a phone from Orange to Vodafone, then Orange has to give the PAC number to you, which allows Vodafone to take over the phone.
No such process is necessary for a computer. Just stop your direct debit, tell them you want to end the account, and choose a better ISP.

However: £40 plus line rental? (Is he renting the LINE from AOL, or does AOL take £40 and he pays BT on top of that..?

)

BT will give you internet and phone line for £20. Even their fibre-optic package starts at £20. You can get cable deals from Virgin or Sky, which include broadband, TV channels and phone for similar amounts. Even if you just got line rental from BT and internet from another ISP, that usually comes to £14 from BT and £6-£10 from another ISP.

I don't know what your friend is getting from AOL, apart from "shafted". Please don't tell me he's been paying that for any length of time.

11-20-2012, 10:10 AM	#1
Mark Hope Registered User Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 1	Mac number A friend has a mac mini and pays around £40 per month + line rental to AOL. They wish to change ISP for a cheaper deal but AOL won't release their mac number. Is there another way to find your mac number?

11-26-2012, 12:31 PM	#3
trevor Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Boulder, CO USA Posts: 19,551	Yes, even the statement 'AOL won't release their mac number' doesn't really make sense. AOL (or any internet service provider) can't control who you connect your computer to. Just call up whatever other ISP your friend wants and connect to them. And if for some reason (unrelated to this) your friend wants to know their computer's MAC, there are lots of ways to see it. For example, one method is to launch Network Utility, found in /Applications/Utilities. It should start in the Info tab by default. At the top, it will say 'Hardware Address', and then there's a number similar to 00:26:08:0f:1b:6a. That's the MAC (of en0, usually the ethernet interface). If you want to see the MAC of your wireless interface (i.e. Airport), click the popup menu where it says 'Ethernet en0' and select 'Airport en1'. Trevor __________________ How to ask questions the smart way

11-26-2012, 05:59 PM	#4
NovaScotian Hall of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Halifax, Canada Posts: 4,946	I'm guessing that the original poster meant "tell him his MAC address" by "release their mac number". As AMO and trevor have pointed out, he doesn't need AOL to tell him anything. __________________ 17" MBP, OS X 10.8.3; 27" iMac, OS X 10.8.3

11-27-2012, 05:16 AM	#5
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,040	Computers aren't like mobile phones. If you move a phone from Orange to Vodafone, then Orange has to give the PAC number to you, which allows Vodafone to take over the phone. No such process is necessary for a computer. Just stop your direct debit, tell them you want to end the account, and choose a better ISP. However: *£40 plus line rental?* (Is he renting the LINE from AOL, or does AOL take £40 and he pays BT on top of that..? ) BT will give you internet and phone line for £20. Even their fibre-optic package starts at £20. You can get cable deals from Virgin or Sky, which include broadband, TV channels and phone for similar amounts. Even if you just got line rental from BT and internet from another ISP, that usually comes to £14 from BT and £6-£10 from another ISP. I don't know what your friend is getting from AOL, apart from "shafted". Please don't tell me he's been paying that for any length of time. Last edited by benwiggy; 11-27-2012 at 05:21 AM.

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11-21-2012, 04:51 AM	#2
acme.mail.order League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 6,050	That sounds strange - the Media Access Control number is readily available in System Preferences and is not controlled in any way by your internet provider. Tell AOL to stuff it somewhere and tell your friend to buy a router.