Network: Finding a Device MAC Address

Purpose

This article explains how to find your MAC address for more advanced troubleshooting of network issues. 

Steps

Windows

For Windows-based machines, there are two ways to find the MAC address.

Method 1: Using the command prompt

1. 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.
2. Once inside the command prompt, type ipconfig/all, and hit Enter. This displays the network.
3. 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.

Method 2: Without using the command prompt

1. Search and click on View network status and tasks in the taskbar, or search and navigate to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Right-click the network device whose MAC address needs to be viewed, and click on Properties.
3. Look for the MAC address listed there.

Mac

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen, and select System Preferences.
2. Select Network.
3. Select from the list the interface that needs to be used, and click on Advanced.
4. Click on the Hardware tab, and find the listed MAC address.

Linux

1. Log in as a superuser or with appropriate permissions.
2. Open a terminal or console window.
3. Type ifconfig.
4. The MAC address is listed as HWaddr in a format similar to 12:34:56:78:AB.

iPhone

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Select General, and click on About.
3. The wireless MAC address is listed next to the Wi-Fi Address.

Android

The specific instructions for finding the MAC address of an Android device might vary by manufacturer, but the following are general steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select About Phone/Tablet > Status.
3. The MAC address appears under Wi-Fi MAC address.