In computer networking, MAC Filtering refers to a security access control method whereby the MAC address assigned to each network card is used to determine access to the network.
MAC addresses are uniquely assigned to each card, so using MAC filtering on a network permits and denies network access to specific devices through the use of blacklists and whitelists. While the restriction of network access through the use of lists is straightforward, an individual person is not identified by a MAC address, rather a device only, so an authorized person will need to have a whitelist entry for each device that he or she would use to access the network.
While giving a network some additional protection, MAC filtering can be circumvented by using a packet analyzer to find a valid MAC and then using MAC spoofing to access the network using that address. MAC address filtering can be considered as security through obscurity because the effectiveness is based on 'the secrecy of the implementation or its components'.
Port security[edit]
Many devices that support MAC filtering do so on a device basis. Whitelisted MAC addresses are allowed through any port on the device and blacklisted MAC addresses are blocked on all ports. Other devices, such as Cisco Catalyst switches, support MAC filtering on a port-by-port basis. This is referred to as port security. Port security may be configured statically with a list, dynamically based on the first given number of addresses detected, or a combination of these two methods. When port security is configured, the default settings are to allow only one MAC address per port, and to shut down the port if the allowed number of addresses is exceeded.[1]
Port filtering, is it an important featuer of the firewall. What it does is filter by both IP and TCP port number (and some can filter by MAC address). This kind of filtering can be done on a. Dec 08, 2017 Virgin Media HUB 3 0 How to setup MAC filtering, port forwarding and many other options. Virgin Media HUB 3 0 How to setup port forwarding Virgin Media HUB 3. Skip navigation. UK Base Gaming. Jul 10, 2017 Some people actually enjoy this sort of management on some level. But MAC address filtering provides no real boost to your Wi-Fi security, so you shouldn’t feel compelled to use it. Most people shouldn’t bother with MAC address filtering, and — if they do — should know it’s not really a security feature. Image Credit: nseika on Flickr.
Ip Port Numbers
Wireless client isolation[edit]
MAC filtering is also used on enterprise wireless networks with multiple access points to create a private VLAN and prevent clients from communicating with each other. The access point can be configured to only allows clients to talk to the default gateway, but not other wireless clients.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Configuring Port Security'. Cisco. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
External links[edit]
| Wikiversity has learning resources about Port security |