Re: How to activate MAC address randomization?

[Chris Laprise <tasket openmailbox org>]

On 04/29/2016 09:07 PM, Thomas Haller wrote:
> On Fri, 2016-04-29 at 16:09 -0400, Chris Laprise wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just installed NetworkManager 1.2 in fedora 23 in the hopes that I
> > can
> > get mac randomization working. Only problem is there's no sign of a
> > setting for this in nmcli or the applet. I found a reference to a
> > setting on the NetworkManager.conf manpage which states:
> >
> >          wifi.mac-address-randomization
> >              If left unspecified, MAC address randomization is
> > disabled.
> >
> > But its not clear what range of values should be specified here. The
> > nm-settings manpage suggests this is a valid way to turn on
> > randomization:
> >
> > > [connection]
> > > wifi.mac-address-randomization=2
> > ...in /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
> >
> > However, it has no effect. I'm not sure what I'm missing here.
> Hi,
>
>
> How can you tell that it has no effect?

Hi,

I can tell its not randomizing when I check the address from ifconfig or 
'macchanger -s'. The original address is shown.

> Setting default values in /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf would
> work, for that you need to leave the per-connection value at "default".
> After editing the connection, you must always reload with `killall
> -SIGHUP NetworkManager`.

So if my NetworkManager.conf looks like the following, it should work...?

   [main]
   plugins=keyfile

   [connection]
   wifi.mac-address-randomization=2

   [logging]
   #level=DEBUG
   [keyfile]
   unmanaged-devices=mac:fe:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff


The 'unmanaged' line is a reference to Qubes virtual interfaces; it 
should have no bearing on wifi.

> mac-address-randomization requires support by Hardware and wpa-
> supplicant. On Fedora23 I get a failure and the logfile reads:
>
>    device (wlp3s0): Activation: (wifi) couldn't build wireless configuration: 802-11-wireless: cannot enable 
> mac-randomization due to missing supplicant support

Which log... dmesg or journalctl NetworkManager.service ?

The version of wpa_supplicant I have in f23 is 2.4. This should support 
the feature. But I think you're implying that iwlwifi and/or the 
hardware are also a factor. What would be helpful is a list of hardware 
and driver versions that are known to work with randomization.

> Thomas

Thanks,
Chris