Running a Server: restrict access by hardware..?

Æthelred

Okay, here's the setup:

I'm going to be running a file-server, ideally with Windows Server 2003. I have users with laptops. I want to restrict access to only those laptops - that is, to restrict access not only by user-login (which will still be required), but by hardware.

Does hardware have a unique address code? I'm pretty sure IP address isn't what I'm after, since that changes depending on where you are / what network you're logging on to, right? I think it's MAC address I need. Can I restrict access by that?

Thanks for any help.

Visti

Yeah, routers, at least, have the option to filter by MAC adress, so it must be doable.

Ego

You can restrict by MAC address, just be aware that it's not the toughest thing in the world to spoof a MAC address.

Æthelred

Cool; glad that's pretty straight-forward. I think I can see the right spot in my router settings now that I know what to look for. I'm dealing with kids, so hopefully won't have to worry too much about spoofing. :P The user/login system will still be there anyway.

travathian

That will simply limit what MAC addresses can connect to the router, has nothing to do with who can connect to the server. And it is completely worthless if you are already using WPA based security on your wireless network.