How to Turn Off ‘Random Hardware Address’ on Windows

Nov 07, 2022

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:

  1. Activate your licenses on a USB flash drive

    Or
  2. 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.

    3. None of the above worked? Contact Technical Support.