Desktop Computer Packages

Does your computer (NOT your connection) leave a "fingerprint"?

Say you post something on a forum, or send email etc from a stranger's internet connection BUT using your laptop. Does your laptop leave any kind of "fingerprint"? I don't mean the IP address of your connection. I mean your piece of hardware.

Public Comments

1. Each network card has a physical (MAC) address which cannot be changed.. well it cannot be changed easily. The MAC address would be the only thing you need to worry about.
2. Every piece of hardware has an IP address. My router has an IP address, my printer has and IP address as do the two computers that sit in my study. Its no good if your email goes to my printer. There is a path way for every message packet. It has to know where it came from and where its going.
3. Best answer is it depends. In most cases the answer is no due to privacy laws and concerns disallowing that from happening. Best they could do is to send/grab the MAC address which is unique. Problem is MAC addresses are not routable so tracing the MAC address is impossible (nearly anyway). Some systems may take your logon credentials and save those but it depends if you have to authorize on those systems.