Troubleshooting MAC Randomization on BYOD Devices

"Device has not been seen" on BYOD Devices

Parents with a Family Zone account and a child enrolled at a Linewize partner school may receive an email stating the “Device has not been seen in 14 days”.  MAC Randomization does not bypass Family Zone filtering.

Duplicate device listings can happen when your child’s device has MAC Randomization (or MAC Privacy) turned on when connecting to the school network. Your school needs your child’s device to use the unique MAC address associated with it instead of a randomized one. 

Your child's school may ask you to confirm if MAC Randomization is enabled on child's device by signing into your Family Zone account and checking if your child has multiple devices with the same name.

Disabling MAC Randomization

Disabling MAC randomization is simple and only takes a few button presses.

Apple iOS 14+

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi
  2. Tap the information button (i) next to the school's Wi-FI network
  3. Tap to turn Private Address off
    Gray is off
    Green is on

Android 10+

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Tap Network and internet > Wi-Fi
  3. Tap the gear icon next to the school's Wi-Fi network
  4. Tap Advanced > Privacy
    For Android 10: Tap Use Phone MAC
    For Android 11: Tap Use device MAC

Windows 10 +

  1. Click the Start button
  2. Type Wi-Fi settings and press Enter
  3. Click Manage known networks
  4. Choose the schools Wi-Fi network
  5. Select Properties
  6. Under Use random addresses for this network, select Off


 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a MAC Address?

Not to be confused with an Apple Mac computer, a Media Access Control (MAC) address is a unique identifier assigned to the network connections (LAN, Wireless, and Bluetooth) on a computer, phone or tablet.

What is MAC Randomization?

MAC Randomization and MAC Privacy have existed for several years. They work when a computer, phone or tablet uses a different MAC address each time it connects to a network. Device manufacturers like Apple and Google use this feature to improve privacy. The randomly changing identity reduces the risk of tracking a device, user, and location through the device's unique MAC address.

Devices with MAC Randomization


Android 10+
MAC Randomization on by default
Randomized daily

iOS 14+
MAC Randomization on by default

Windows 10
MAC Randomization off by default

macOS
MAC Randomization not available (as of August 2021)

Chrome OS / Chromebook
MAC Randomization not available

Devices with MAC Randomization


Android 10+
MAC Randomization on by default
Randomized daily

iOS 14+
MAC Randomization on by default

Windows 10
MAC Randomization off by default

macOS
MAC Randomization not available (as of August 2021)

Chrome OS / Chromebook
MAC Randomization not available