How to Find a Device's MAC address

How to find the MAC address on some common devices such as laptop computers, tablets and smartphones. The MAC address can be very important for troubleshooting network access issues and should be included in any support tickets created related to network connectivity

Overview

This article describes how to find the MAC address on some common devices such as laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.  The MAC address can be very important for troubleshooting network access issues and should be included in any support tickets that are created related to network connectivity.

 

What is a MAC Address?

Every device connected on a network has a Media Access Control (MAC) address, that uniquely identifies it. MAC addresses are assigned by device manufactures.

The MAC address is tied to the Network Interface Controller (NIC), a sub component of the larger device. The NIC is where you make your physical connection to the network, by plugging in an Ethernet cable or connecting to a Wi-Fi signal.

What does a MAC address look like?

The MAC address is a 12-digit hexadecimal number that is most often displayed with a colon or hyphen separating every two digits (an octet), making it easier to read. The values are 0 through 9 and A through F.

Example: A MAC address of 9f08ba184763 is typically displayed as 9f:08:ba:18:47:63 or 9f-08-ba-18-47-63.

Can a device have more than one MAC address?

Yes. For each network interface in your device, there is a unique MAC address associated with it. If laptop has both an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi built-in, you will see two MAC addresses in the system configuration.

How do I find my MAC address?

In general, you will find MAC addresses in the system settings, general information, or network settings/status of your device. Occasionally, the MAC address is printed on a label affixed to the bottom of a device.

It is important to note that manufacturers sometimes use different names to describe the MAC address, such as Hardware ID, Physical Address, Wireless ID, Wi-Fi Address, etc.
 

Procedures for various devices

Windows Computers

1. Press Start + R on your keyboard
2. In the Run window, type in cmd and click OK
3. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /all and hit Enter
4. The MAC address for each interface will be listed as Physical Address

• For wired interfaces, look for the term Ethernet or Gigabit in the name or description
• For wireless interfaces, look for the terms Wireless or Wi-Fi in the name or description

Mac Computers

1. Open System Preferences
2. Click on the Network icon
3. Select the interface you wish to use, then click Advanced...
4. The MAC address is listed under the Hardware tab

Chromebooks

1. Sign in to your Chromebook
2. At the bottom right, select the time
3. Select the Wi-Fi network that you are connected to
4. Below the ip address.  Click on Network
5. Scroll down to bottom and you will see the MAC address

Apple iPhone

1. From a Home screen on your Apple® iPhone®, navigate: Settings
2. Tap on General
3. Tap About
4. View the MAC address (displays in the Wi-Fi Address field)

Android Phone

1. On the Home screen, tap the Menu button and go to Settings
2. Tap About Phone
3. Tap Status or Hardware Information (depending on your model of phone)
4. Scroll down to see your WiFi MAC address.

Roku Players

Tip: Some models have the MAC address printed on a label on the bottom of the device.

1. From the Home screen, select Settings
2. Select Network
3. Select About
4. The MAC address is displayed on the right side under Ethernet MAC address

Apple TVs

Tip: Some models have the MAC addresses printed on the UPC label on the product packaging.

1. From the main screen, click on Settings
2. Select Network
3. The MAC addresses will be displayed next to Ethernet Address or Wi-Fi Address

Amazon Fire TV

1. From the Home screen, scroll to the right and select Settings
2. Select My Fire TV
3. Select About
4. Select Network
5. The MAC addresses should be displayed on the right side

Additional Resources