[hobgoblin]

I find myself thinking that i may have looked at the access id wrongly.

In the past i have compared it to a network cards MAC address, but now i wonder if not a more correct example may be a mobile phone SIM card.

This because the access id is not tied to the node, but the persona. This means that while traffic can be routed based on the access id, it does not tell anyone the location or nature of the node that persona is running out of.

So if you want to hack someones node, you first have to run a trace on the persona (unless your basically staring the person in the physical face).

This also means that potentially some squatter could have a access id without having a comlink. This by having the id stored on a card or chip, and said object is used when buying time at a matrix cafe. This could also apply for someone working at a office when logging onto their nexi. Either scenario is impractical for a runner and so have little point in being detailed in the books.

[Sichr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMSI

[Blue_Lion]

I always saw matrix ID as a cross between a ISP and a cell phone ID. As to beeing tied to a persona the persona is tied to a device as it is described it can be removed but whould be a little hard. And it may even be possible to track where the ID has been used, also because of the built in GPS system I am shure law enforcment can track you donw if you are on line even if they don't know where you are to start with.