# Why clients use a changing IP instead of a MAC address?

**URL:** <https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/why-clients-use-a-changing-ip-instead-of-a-mac-address/32290>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** v5-0\
**Created:** [May 13, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/why-clients-use-a-changing-ip-instead-of-a-mac-address/32290 "2020-05-13T13:53:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![PromoFaux](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/promofaux/32/1545_2.png) [@PromoFaux](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/PromoFaux)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/why-clients-use-a-changing-ip-instead-of-a-mac-address/32290/2 "2020-05-13T13:57:40Z")

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There is an already existing discussion on this topic, with an answer from a developer:

> [@Groups and DHCP](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/groups-and-dhcp/31901/7):
>
> No, the router sends the replies on behalf of your clients in this configuration. There is no possibility for Pi-hole to see who the original requestor was. Hence, they are one and the same client. IP address. DNS queries are asked using either the UDP or TCP protocols. Both use IP addresses for describing the source and destination of the packages. Hence, IP addresses are the only thing visible to the DNS server. We can source hardware addresses (using other means) for devices not more than…

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/why-clients-use-a-changing-ip-instead-of-a-mac-address/32290)._