MAC (Media Access Control) address is a number that identifies the network adapter installed on the computer. A MAC address consists of six pairs of characters (the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F), separated by a colon or dash. You may need to enter a MAC address into the router in order to connect to the network. To find your MAC address on a network-connected system, use one of the following methods.
Step
Method 1 of 12: Using Windows 10
Step 1. Connect to the network
This method can only be used if you are connected to a network. Make sure to connect the computer with the interface for which you need a MAC address (Wi-Fi if you need a wireless MAC card address, or ethernet if you need a wired MAC card address).
Step 2. Click the network icon
This icon is located in the toolbar near the clock, usually in the lower-right corner of the screen.
Step 3. Click Properties on the network connection
This step will open network settings.
Step 4. Scroll to the “Properties” section below
This section is located at the end of the window.
Step 5. Look for the MAC address next to “Physical address (MAC)
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Method 2 of 12: Using Windows Vista, 7 or 8
Step 1. Connect to the computer network
This method can only be done if you are already connected to a computer network. Make sure to connect to the interface for which you want to know the MAC address (Wi-Fi if you need the MAC address of the wireless network card, Ethernet if you need the MAC address of the network card).
Step 2. Click the connection icon in the system tray
The icon may look like a thumbnail (like the image above, in a red box), or like an image of a tiny computer monitor. After clicking the icon, select "Open Network and Sharing Center".
In Windows 8, launch the Desktop application on the Start screen. Once you are in Desktop Mode, right-click the connection icon in the system tray. Select "Network and Sharing Center"
Step 3. Look for the name of your network connection and click on it
The name will be right after the word Connections. Clicking on that name will open a small window.
Step 4. Click Details
This will open a list of configuration information about the connection, similar to what appears when you use the IPConfig program at the Command Prompt.
Step 5. Look for the Physical Address
This is your MAC address.
Method 3 of 12: Using Any Version of Windows
Step 1. Open Command Prompt
Press Windows key + R and type "cmd" into the Run box. Press Enter to start the command prompt.
Step 2. On Windows 8, press Windows key + X and select Command Prompt from the menu
Run IPConfig. At the command prompt, type "ipconfig /all" and press Enter. This will display configuration information for all your network connections
Step 3. Look for the Physical Address
This is another name for indicating your MAC address. Make sure you get the physical address of the correct network adapter – as there are usually several displayed. For example, your wireless connection will have a different MAC address than your Ethernet connection.
Method 4 of 12: Using Windows 98 and XP
Step 1. Connect to the computer network
This method can only be done if you are already connected to a computer network. Make sure to connect to the interface for which you want to know the MAC address (Wi-Fi if you need the MAC address of the wireless network card, Ethernet if you need the MAC address of the network card).
Step 2. Open Network Connections
If you don't have an icon on your desktop to open it, look for the connection icon in the system tray (bottom right corner of the Windows taskbar) and right-click and select Open Network Connections to open the current connection or a list of existing networks.
Step 3. You can also access Network Connections from the Control Panel, which is located in the Start menu
Right-click your connection and select Status
Step 4. Click Details
Note that on some versions of Windows, this button is under the Support tab. This will open a list of configuration information about the connection, similar to what appears when you use the IPConfig program at the Command Prompt.
Step 5. Look for the Physical Address
This is your MAC address.
Method 5 of 12: Using Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and Newer
Step 1. Open System Preferences
You'll find it by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. Make sure that you are connected to the network using the connection for which you want to find the MAC address.
Step 2. Select your connection
Select Network and choose either AirPort or Built-in Ethernet, depending on how you access your network. Connections will be shown in the left frame.
- For Ethernet, click Advanced and browse to the Ethernet tab. At the top, you'll see your Ethernet ID, which is your MAC address.
- For AirPort, click Advanced and browse to the AirPort tab. You'll see your AirPort ID, which is your MAC address.
Method 6 of 12: Using Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and Older
Step 1. Open System Preferences
This menu can be found by clicking the Apple menu. Make sure that you are connected to the network using the connection for which you want to find the MAC address.
Step 2. Select Network
Step 3. Select the connection from the Show menu
The Show pull-down menu will display all connected network equipment. Select an Ethernet or AirPort connection.
Step 4. Look for AirPort ID or Ethernet ID
Once you have selected a connection on the Show menu, click the appropriate tab (Ethernet or AirPort). This page will display the MAC address as Ethernet ID or AirPort ID.
Method 7 of 12: Using Linux
Step 1. Open a terminal
Depending on your system, this program might be referred to as Terminal, Xterm, Shell, Command Prompt, or something similar. It can usually be found in the Accessories folder under Applications (or similar).
Step 2. Open the configuration interface
Type "ifconfig –a" and press Enter. If your access is denied, enter “sudo ifconfig –a” and enter your password when prompted.
Step 3. Find your MAC address
Browse until you find your network connection (the main Ethernet port is named “eth0”). Look for the HWaddr section. This is your MAC address.
Method 8 of 12: Using iOS
Step 1. Open Settings
You can find Settings on the Home screen. Tap the General category.
Step 2. Tap About
This will display information about your device. Swipe down until you see Wi-Fi Address. This is the MAC address for your iDevice.
This method works for all iOS devices: iPhone, iPod, and iPad
Step 3. Find the Bluetooth MAC address
If you need a Bluetooth MAC address, it's located just below the Wi-Fi address section.
Method 9 of 12: Using Android OS
Step 1. Open Settings
While viewing the Home screen, press the Menu key and select Settings. You can also open Settings by tapping the app in the App Drawer.
Step 2. Swipe down to About Device
This is usually located at the bottom of the Settings menu. On the About Device menu, tap Status.
Step 3. Find your MAC address
Swipe down until you see the Wi-Fi Address section. This is the MAC address of your device.
Step 4. Find the Bluetooth MAC address
The Bluetooth MAC address is located directly below the Wi-Fi MAC address section. Bluetooth must be enabled on your device in order to see the address.
Method 10 of 12: Using Windows Phone 7 or Newer
Step 1. Open Settings
You can access Settings by navigating to the Home screen and then swiping left. Swipe down until you see the Settings option.
Step 2. Search About
In the Settings section, swipe down and tap About. On the About screen, tap the More Info button. Your MAC address will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Method 11 of 12: Using Chrome OS
Step 1. Click on the Network icon
This icon is located in the lower-right corner of the desktop, and looks like four beams radiating from it.
Step 2. Open Network Status
In this menu, click the “i” icon, which is located in the lower right corner. A message will appear showing the MAC address of your device.
Method 12 of 12: Using Video Game Equipment
Step 1. Find MAC address of Play Station 3
On the Play Station main menu system, swipe left until you reach the Settings menu. Swipe down until you find System Settings.
Scroll down and select System Information. The MAC address will be displayed below the IP address
Step 2. Find the MAC address of the Xbox 360
Open System Settings from the Dashboard. Open Network Settings and select Configure Network.
- Select the Additional Settings tab and then select Advanced Settings. Select Alternate MAC Address.
- The MAC address will be displayed on this screen. The addresses may not be separated by a colon.
Step 3. Find the MAC address of the Wii
Click the Wii button in the lower left corner of the Channel main menu. Scroll to page 2 of the Settings menu and select Internet. Click Console Information and the MAC address will be displayed.
Tips
- For Mac OS X, you can also try the Linux method in Terminal. This is possible because Mac OS X uses the Darwin kernel (based on BSD).
- Your MAC address can also be found with a third-party network utility, or by checking the network adapter information under Device Manager.
- A MAC address is a series of 6 pairs of character groups separated by colons or dashes.
