Presumably we are talking about MAC as in Media Access Control addressses (MACs), can we agree to -
at the first router the information is lost as MACs are non-routable over IP,
the ISP cannot see the MACs unless they can see both sides of the nearest router to the client, most likely the default gateway.
The implementations I have seen, other than various dial-up, DSL, T1, etc. solutions the vendor provides the "switch/AP/router" device. These are combination WiFi AP, possibly a switch, and also as the default gateway for the house.
Cable TV carriers (Comcast, Time Warner, etc.) usually have a coax cable running directly to this device, and have the modem built into it. Yet, the router is still at this point.
For fiber/fibre carriers (Verizon, U-Verse, etc.) the "modem" or media converter for the network and the actual switch/AP/router" device are split. This is because the media converter provides both Ethernet port and coax. It provides coax because most houses are already wired for this.
Either case the "switch/AP/router" devices, or broadband routers are often "rented" by the customer - which means it is owned and managed on both sides by the carrier. There is no reason the carrier could not send the MAC information in some encapsulation to their POP.
I know the Verizon Actiontec MI424WR allows naming of the devices by MACs, not IPs on the inside. This information appears on the Verizon portal for usage statistics. Clearly, the portal does not reside at the customer's home, so the MACs (and usage stats) are shipped up to the mothership.
There is a faulty presumption with tracking the MACs, considering all still reside at the location. If the individuals are not tech-savvy it is highly possible that their systems are almost always connected to the local network.
Think about it - laptops are almost always on, at best sleep mode, tablets and cell phones are also always on for WiFi so as to make sure they do not use precious cell data air time.
How will you separate regular online of one these MACs from the specific e-mail MAC time?
To further complicate things, what about simply changing MACs on the machine?
Or just walk up to the other person's machine and type it up quickly and hit send?
Or…
Too many variables, too little corroborating information to narrow it down.
If I was the judge, I would do a Solomon judgement.
Both fined and charged with contempt of court.
If I was the judge, I would do a Solomon judgement.
Both fined and charged with contempt of court.
That's actually not a "Solomon" judgment is a "catch all" one 😯 .
jaclaz
If I was the judge, I would do a Solomon judgement.
Both fined and charged with contempt of court.That's actually not a "Solomon" judgment is a "catch all" one 😯 .
jaclaz
Sure. Will call it catch all. I was thinking of King Solomon's initial decision to slice the baby in half would have punished both women. That is why I called it Solomon judgement.
Yep D , but the essence of the wiseness of the judgement was the "faking" initially a very unfair decision in order to trick the mothers into showing their true nature
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and later fairly give the child to the only true mother, this latter is the actual King Solomon's judgment.
What you are suggesting is more like Homer Solomon wink
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jaclaz
I doubt you can trace it back. The only information you have available is what's in the header, and for privacy reasons Gmail does not include the IP address. Of course the IP wouldn't help anyway if it's just the IP of the router and not of any of the PCs behind the router.
If the router has detailed enough logs, you might be able to track backwards from there, but that's totally independent of Google or Gmail. That would simply be trying to trace network traffic through your network. Only the router would know the MAC addresses of the computers connected to it.