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I have a computer connect to the Internet using Powerline Ethernet adapters in this fashion:

{Internet} --- [Router] --- [Powerline Adapter A] +++ [Powerline Adapter B] --- COMPUTER

Where --- is an Ethernet connection, and +++ is the home AC wiring.

From the computer is there a way to query the MAC address of [Powerline Adapter B]?

I am using the following Powerline Adapter: Linksys PLEK500 http://www.linksys.com/en-eu/products/powerline/PLEK500

These have the MAC address printed on the back of each node.

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2 Answers 2

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Your powerline adapter probably does not have a MAC address at all, because it probably isn't an active Ethernet device; rather it's just a dumb repeater.

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  • I'm using Linksys PLEK500 powerline adapters and they include a MAC address written on the back of each node. Is there a way to query this? linksys.com/en-eu/products/powerline/PLEK500
    – Ryan R
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 2:11
  • Define "query" then; what do you actually want to do?
    – Mark Henderson
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 2:18
  • Just to clarify; MAC indicates that it's an ethernet device, but not that it runs IP, etc.
    – Mark Henderson
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 2:21
  • By query I mean retrieve the MAC address from the powerline adapter to the connected PC. I would like to use this to "uniquely" identify the PC (lets assume the PC has no unique identifier itself). Thanks for your help Mark.
    – Ryan R
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 2:26
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    Yea, perhaps it's used on the powerline side, as opposed to the Ethernet side.
    – Ryan R
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 2:35
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From David Schwartz comment on Mark Henderson's answer, this is not possible:

[...] That is a P1901 MAC and has nothing to do with the Ethernet network.

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