1
It is known that either Skyhook or Google procured the wireless access points mac address while roaming around.
I am curious how the MAC addresses were procured, as this does not seem to be easy to do!
MAC address is used only on the local network and falls in the datalink layer of OSI network model.
Now outside of such wifi point only IP packets are seen and the mac addresses are completely concealed.
oh I see, in the case of wireless access; the packets are broadcasted as they cannot directly send to the router. What other info can be intercepted and how legal is it? – vihari – 2013-09-30T09:07:45.690
What is legal varies per country. But if you start yelling things in your front garden or inside the house with open windows then it will be hard to forbid people on the street from hearing that. And with wireless you are broadcasting. Thus I assume receiving that information is legal in most places. – Hennes – 2013-09-30T09:35:30.343