How to Turn Off ‘Random Hardware Address’ on Windows

Jul 17, 2023

Learn how to turn off ‘Random Hardware Address’ on Windows computers to enable Waves license activation.

Waves Central recognizes computers by their Network Interface Cards’ (NIC) MAC address. Hardware MAC addresses are assigned by the manufacturer and cannot be changed, yet Windows offers a feature which enables you to ‘mask’ the hardware’s MAC address by creating a random virtual address that changes periodically.

When this feature is on, you will not be able to activate Waves licenses directly on your computer.

Choose one of the options below if this feature is enabled on your computer:

Activate your licenses on a USB flash drive.

Follow the steps below to turn the Random MAC address feature off:

Select the Start button, type ‘settings’.
Select Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
Set Use random hardware addresses to Off.
Click Manage known networks.
Choose the WiFi network you’re connected to to enter the network properties.
Set Random hardware address to Off.
Repeat steps #5-#6 for every network you use frequently.
Restart your computer.

None of the above worked? Contact Technical Support.