A MAC address is a unique identifier for a network interface. It is a 48-bit number (12 hexadecimal characters). They can be written in one of the following formats:
M:M:M:SS:SS:SS
MM-MM-MM-SS-SS-SS
OUI {Organizationally Unique Identifier} is a 24-digit number that uniquely identifies a supplier or manufacturer. They are purchased and distributed by the IEEE. OUI is basically the first three octets of the MAC address. For example, the following is an example of OUI:
60:FD:A6 -- This is owned by Apple, Inc.
C8-2A-DD - Proprietary to Google, Inc.
A MAC address is often required when configuring a network router for device filtering or during network troubleshooting.
While logged in to a device, a user can typically find a MAC address in the system settings, general information or network settings and status of the device. Commonly, the MAC address is affixed to the bottom of a device on a printed label. Sometimes, manufacturers identify a MAC address by other names, such as physical address, hardware ID, wireless ID or Wi-Fi address.
The following steps can be performed to find the MAC address on different devices.
For Windows-based machines, there are two ways to find the MAC address.
MAC address Windows machine
This screenshot shows how to find the MAC address of a Windows-based machine using the command prompt.
** Using the command prompt **
Type cmd or command prompt in the search box of the taskbar. For older versions of Windows, right-click on the Start button, and select command prompt from the menu. Once inside the command prompt, type "ipconfig /all", and hit Enter. This displays the network.
Scroll down to the network adapter, and look for a value description of the Physical Address field, which is the MAC address of the device.
Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen, and select System Preferences.
Select Network.
Select from the list the interface that needs to be used, and click on Advanced.
Click on the Hardware tab, and find the listed MAC address.
Log in as a superuser or with appropriate permissions.
Open a terminal or console window.
Type ifconfig.
The MAC address is listed as HWaddr in a format similar to 12:34:56:78:AB.
Go to the Settings app.
Select General, and click on About.
The wireless MAC address is listed next to the Wi-Fi Address.
The specific instructions for finding the MAC address of an Android device might vary by manufacturer, but the following are general steps:
Open the Settings app.
Select About Phone/Tablet > Status.
The MAC address appears under Wi-Fi MAC address.
Enter the Mac address and click Query
Wait a moment to return the query results