Is it a good enough solution for IMEI tracking to use an alternative device to provide a hotspot connection?

This approach appears to protect any new device that hasn’t inserted a SIM card from being identified.

But I’m not sure how much information is carried to the second device by using hotspot.

Is this a good solution so far? Should I try to spoof IMEI?

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    7·
    17 hours ago

    I’m not exactly sure what you’re trying to do here. Yes, if you use a phone as a hotspot, everything going through will be associated with that hotspot phone’s IMEI.

    • happeningtofry99158@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      15 hours ago

      thanks a lot.

      I am trying to keep my device IMEI information private

      May I also ask how much information is carried to the second device by using hotspot? By this I meant the phone with IMEI will be able to know my device name, but what else? Will the phone with IMEI also be able to know the device model?

      • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        8 hours ago

        It will know as much data as it would for any other wireless client. MAC address mostly.

      • Ulrich@feddit.orgEnglish
        21·
        12 hours ago

        I am trying to keep my device IMEI information private

        By replacing it with another not-private one? For what purpose?

        • happeningtofry99158@lemmy.worldOP
          1·
          12 hours ago

          using another not-private device is just a temporary solution. In the end I would like to use a portable router that supports MAC/IMEI randomnization

          • Ulrich@feddit.orgEnglish
            41·
            12 hours ago

            Not sure how that would work. IMEI is how the carrier knows who you are and grants you network access.

            • HelloRoot@lemy.lolEnglish
              3·
              9 hours ago

              They certainly can be spoofed or cloned.

              But thats as illegal as it gets and faces serious proscecution.

              • DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works
                2·
                8 hours ago

                Spoofing IMEI isn’t helping if OP pays for the service with bank account / credit card, or walks in a store to pay but with face exposed, or turns on the cell-hotspot device on at home (because they’ll be able to associate the SIM/Service-Plan with your address via cellular triangulation, and thus your identity)