A Media Access Control (MAC) address is the physical address that uniquely identifies a device in a network. It is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) device for communication within a network.
Users can name their personal devices “Bob’s computer,” “Mary’s iPhone,” or anything else they want. However, these names can be changed which can be an issue for network communication. A unique identifier lets the network know exactly which device it is communicating with.
Since a device’s MAC address is permanent, you can use it to blacklist, whitelist, or even track your device. If something like that is your need and you need to find out your device’s MAC address, then we’ve got just the article for you.
Is IP address and MAC address the same?
MAC address is the physical address of your network interface card that the manufacturer provides, which cannot be changed.
By contrast, an IP address is assigned by your internet service provider (ISP) and can be changed. It is the logical address of your device and is needed by the network to interface with your device.
How to a Device’s MAC Address on Windows 11
There are quite a few different methods by which you can find out your device’s MAC address on Windows 11. These methods utilize various windows features such as Settings, Control Panel, Command Prompt, or PowerShell. We invite you to pick one that is your favorite and memorize it for future use. Heck, why not memorize them all, even!?
From the Windows Settings
You can easily access your device’s MAC address by going to the relevant section of the Windows Settings. Which relevant section you ask? Well, that’s what we are here for. Please follow:
For Wired Connections
- Launch Settings (Win + I).
- Navigate to Network & Internet > Ethernet
- Scroll down to find Physical address (MAC).
For Wireless Connections
- Launch Settings (Win + I).
- Navigate to Network & Internet > WiFi .
- Click on your WiFi connection.
- Scroll down to find Physical address (MAC).
Using the Control Panel
Although Microsoft has deprecated the control panel in favor of settings, it is still possible to use the control panel to view your device’s MAC address.
- Press Win + R and type in
ncpa.cpl - Double click on your network device and click on Details.
- In the details page, your device’s MAC address will be listed as Physical Address.
Using System Information
In this method, we will query system information to find out our device’s MAC address.
- Press Win + R and type in
msinfo32. - Expand Components > Network and click on Adapter.
- On the right will be displayed all Network adapters that have been installed on your device. Scroll to the correct network adapter and find the MAC address listed as MAC Address.
Using the Windows PowerShell or the Command Prompt
There are a few different commands that you can type into either the PowerShell or the Command Prompt (we will let you know which), and you can find our the device’s MAC address.
- To launch the PowerShell, press Win + R and type in powershell.
- To launch the Command Prompt, press Win + R and type in cmd.
Using Ipconfig Command
- Click on Terminal located at the dock.
- At the terminal, type in
ipconfig /all
You can scroll and find the MAC address of your device, listed as Physical Address.
Using Getmac Command
The getmac command is very simple to use. It returns the mac address of enabled network adapters only, thus you don’t have to comb through every installed network adapter to find the MAC address of your device, greatly reducing the information clutter.
- Type in
getmacand press enter.
Using Wmic Command
You can find out your device’s MAC address by using the command wmic nic get.
However, using this command might greet you with a wall of text and you might end up feeling like on a hunt for a needle in a haystack. Thus, we can modify this command a little bit so that the outcome is precisely what we need.
- At the prompt, type in
wmic nic where PhysicalAdapter=True get MACAddress,Name
Using Get-netadapter Command
- Type in
get-netadapter
If you compare this command with getmac command, you will see that get-netadapter returns MAC address for all network adapters while getmac returns it for only enabled adapters.
Using Your Router Settings to Find MAC Address
Your router has a list of every single MAC address that is connected to it. Normally when you have multiple users with multiple devices connected simultaneously, you will not be able to identify which is which. However, if you only have a single device connected, you can easily find out your device’s MAC address.
- Log into your router.
- Find the setting that has the list of clients connected to the device. The location of this option will vary depending upon your router manufacturer.
We also have a detailed article explaining how to configure a router. You might find it worth reading.
How to Find MAC Address on Android?
Good question! You can usually find the information about your android device on About Phones from the Settings.
- Swipe down from the top edge and tap on the gear icon to launch settings.
- Tap on About Phone.
- Now, depending upon your manufacturer, different phone models might have configured the location of the option differently, but somewhere there should be an option to view your phone’s status or configuration. Tap on this to locate your android phone’s MAC address.
How to Find MAC Address on iPhone?
Similar to android devices, your iPhone also has its MAC address information stored in the About section of the phone in the settings menu. To access the page, please follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > General > About .
- Tap on Wi-Fi Address.
Can Two Devices Have the Same MAC Address?
Technically, yes. Device manufacturers recycle MAC addresses all the time. However, they ship devices with identical MAC address to different parts of the world where they are unlikely to connect to the same network. However, if two devices with the same MAC addresses happen to connect to the same network, neither device will be able to communicate with the network properly.
