Learn how to turn on the ‘Random hardware addresses’ feature in Windows 11 to automatically randomize the MAC address to protect your privacy when using Wi-Fi.
Every network adapter in your computer has a unique physical hardware address called a MAC address. Anytime you connect to a network, your computer sends this address to the router so that it can recognize and differentiate your computer from others on the same network. While MAC address is essential for your system to connect to a network, it also has a down side. It lets others identify and track your system when you connected to a network. This is especially true when connecting to a public network such as in coffee shops and airports.
To deal with this, Windows 11 lets you randomize the hardware address when connecting to a network so that it doesn’t see your real MAC address. All you have to do is enable the “Random Hardware Addresses” feature. This makes it harder to track your device on that network.
In this quick and straightforward guide, I will show you the steps to enable random hardware addresses feature (automatic MAC address randomization) in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Good to read: How to find your MAC address in Windows 11
Enable Random Hardware Addresses for All Wi-Fi Networks
On Windows 11, you can turn on the random hardware addresses feature for all Wi-Fi networks. That means, whenever you connect to a new Wi-Fi network, Windows 11 generate a new random hardware address (MAC address) instead of using the real address. This method is helpful for those who are constantly on the move and connect to public networks. Here’s how to do it.
- Open the Settings app by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut.
- Go to the “Network & Internet” tab on the sidebar.
- Click the “Wi-Fi” option.
- Turn ON the “Random hardware addresses” toggle.
- Close the Settings app and reboot the computer.
- With that, you’ve enabled the random hardware addresses for all networks in Windows 11.
Turn on Random Hardware Addresses for a Specific Network
If you don’t want to enable MAC address randomization for all Wi-Fi networks, you can configure Windows 11 to enable it for a specific network. For example, you can keep using your real MAC address when you are at home or office and a random MAC address for public networks.
Note: Before proceeding, make sure you have connected to the network at least once. Otherwise, you will not find the network in the “Known Networks” list.
- Open the Settings app by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut.
- Go to the “Network & Internet” tab on the sidebar.
- Click the “Wi-Fi” option.
- Click the “Manage known networks” option.
- Select the network for which you want to enable random network address.
- Select “ON” from the “Random network addresses” dropdown menu.
- Close the Settings app and restart your computer.
- With that, Windows 11 will generate a random network address for that specific network only.
Wrapping Up — Enabling MAC Address Randomization in Windows 11
As you can see, enabling the random hardware addresses feature for all or specific Wi-Fi networks is pretty easy in Windows 11. Keep in mind that, while choosing to enable it for specific networks offers greater control, the downside is that you’ll need to manually turn on the feature for each new network individually. While this gives you flexibility, it requires a bit more effort on your part.
That being said, this simple feature protects your privacy by hiding the real MAC address and making it hard to track your device when connected to a network. So, it’s worth it.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Thanks, very useful.