How to Find Your Computer or Network Card's MAC Address

The MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a unique identifier assigned to each network interface card, used to identify the device on a network. Knowing the MAC address can be helpful for troubleshooting network issues, setting up security, or restricting network access. Here’s a guide on finding your MAC address on different operating systems.

1. How to Find the MAC Address on Windows

On a Windows computer, you can find the MAC address in several ways:

Using Command Prompt

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type cmd and press Enter.
  3. In the Command Prompt, type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
  4. Look for the "Physical Address" line for the relevant network adapter—this is your MAC address.

Using Network Settings

  1. Open Settings from the Start menu.
  2. Go to Network & Internet.
  3. Select "Ethernet" or "Wi-Fi," depending on your connection.
  4. Find your connection and view its properties—your MAC address will be listed here.

2. How to Find the MAC Address on macOS

You can find the MAC address on a Mac in several ways as well:

Using System Preferences

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Go to Network.
  3. Select the relevant connection (such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
  4. Click Advanced, and the MAC address will be displayed in the window.

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal (accessible via Spotlight search).
  2. Type ifconfig and press Enter.
  3. Look for the en0 interface for Wi-Fi or en1 for Ethernet, and locate the line starting with ether, where your MAC address will be listed.

3. How to Find the MAC Address on Linux

On Linux, you can find the MAC address via the terminal:

Using ifconfig or ip Commands

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Type ifconfig or ip addr and press Enter.
  3. Locate the relevant interface (for example, eth0 for Ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi) and find the line with "ether"—this is your MAC address.

4. How to Find the MAC Address on Android

On Android devices, you can find the MAC address in the settings:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to About phone or About device.
  3. Select Status or Network information.
  4. Look for the line labeled "Wi-Fi MAC address."

5. How to Find the MAC Address on iOS

On iPhone or iPad, you can find the MAC address as follows:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to General, then select About.
  3. Find the line labeled Wi-Fi Address—this is your MAC address.