What's a MAC Address and where do I find it?

What's a MAC address and where do I find it?

How to find the MAC Address for your device

A MAC Address is a unique set of numbers and letters that identifies a wired or wireless interface for the device you are using to connect to the internet. Companies like Apple, Intel, Samsung, and others, assign these unique identifiers to your devices as a way of connecting to the internet. You will need to assign your device’s MAC address to your account.

Below are instructions for locating MAC addresses of some of the more common device manufacturers.  If your device is not included below, conduct a web search for how to find the MAC address for that device and follow those instructions.

Windows XP

1. Choose Control Panel from the Start menu, and then choose Network Connections. The Network Connections window opens.
2. Double-click your LAN Connection icon that is connected. This displays a Status window.
3. Click the Support tab.
4. Click the Details button. A Network Connection Details dialog box appears. Locate the item labeled Physical Address, which is the MAC Address number.

Windows Vista

1. Click the Vista Icon in the left hand part of your desktop. Choose Control Panel and then choose Network and Sharing Center. The Network and Sharing Center window opens.
2. Click on the Manage Internet Connections on the left.
3. Right-click the LAN Connection that is connected to the internet. This displays a Status window.
4. Click the Details button. A Network Connection Details dialog box appears. Locate the item labeled Physical Address, which is the MAC Address number.

Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC

1. Navigate to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Select Change adapter settings from the column on the left.
3. Locate the proper wireless adapter. This can be done by looking for the icon that has "Wireless" in the name. If there are multiple wireless options, perform this check while connected to wireless Internet. The correct option will be connected, while the others will have a red X on the icon.
   Once the proper adapter is located, right-click on it and select Status from the drop-down menu.
4. From the Status window that appears, select the Details button.
5. On the Network Connection Details page, locate the value in the Physical Address field. This is your device’s MAC address.   

Windows 10 Using the Command Prompt

1. From the command prompt.Right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt from the menu.
2. Type in ipconfig /all and press Enter.This will display your network configuration. 
3. Find your adapter's physical address.Scroll down to your network adapter and look for the values next to "Physical Address," which is your MAC address.

Windows 10 In the Network Connection Settings

1. Search "network connections" in the task bar and select "View network connections."(Or navigate to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections)
2. Right-click on your network connection and select "Status."
3. Click the "Details" button.
4. Locate the Physical Address. The value for the physical address in the Network Connection Details window is your MAC address.

Apple Mac OS X

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left part of your screen. Click on System Preferences.
2. Under Internet & Network click on Network. The Network window will be displayed.
3. On the left part of the window, click on Ethernet. It could already be selected; if not, choose it. It will have a green circle indicating your are connected.
4. Click on the Advanced button. This will bring up another window with menu options.
5. Click on Ethernet. The MAC address is called "Ethernet ID".

Apple Mobile Device

1. From the home screen, open the Settings menu.
2. Select General
3. Select About.
4. Scroll down to Wi-Fi Address - this is your device's MAC address.

Android Mobile Device

1.  Open the Settings menu.
2. Scroll down and select About phone.
3. Select Status (or Hardware information).
4. Scroll down to Wi-Fi MAC address - this is your device's MAC address.

Nintendo Wii

1. When at the Wii Menu screen, click the Wii icon in the lower left corner.
2. Select Wii Settings.
3. Click the arrow on the right side of the screen to advance to the next page of settings.
4. Select Internet.
5. Select Console Information.
6. The MAC Address for your console will be displayed. After you have written down the address, repeatedly select Back to return to the Wii Menu screen.

Playstation 2

1. Load the Network Adaptor Startup Disc in your PS2. Make sure you have the network cable disconnected.
2. Walk through the Start-Up CD until it starts testing your connection. Since the console is disconnected the test will fail.
3. You can now press the select button which will display the MAC.

Playstation 3

1. Power up the PlayStation 3 without any disc in the drive.
2. Once the PlayStation 3 operating system has loaded, select "Settings."
3. Once you are in "Settings" select "Network Settings."
4. When the "Network Settings" list appears, select the first option which is titled "Settings and Connection Status List."
5. The physical address will be listed under "MAC Address."

Playstation 4

1. Start up your PlayStation 4 without a disk in the drive.
2. Find theSystem Settings icon and select the X.
3. ClickSystem Information and press the X. 
4. YourMac Address will display.

TiVo DVR

All TiVos have their MAC addresses displayed on the back of the device. It will be in the upper left hand corner of the device, next to the TiVo Serial Number and other product information.

Xbox 360 - Old Dashboard

1. Go to the System area of the Xbox Dashboard and select Network Settings.
2. Select Edit Settings.
3. Under Basic Settings, check to make sure the IP Settings is on Automatic.
4. Click on Additional Settings and select Advanced Settings.
5. The MAC address is located at the bottom of the screen, called Wired MAC Address.

Xbox 360 - New Dashboard

1. Go to the System area of the Xbox Menu.
2. Select Network Settings.
3. Go to Configure Network
4. Go to Additional Settings and select Advanced Settings.
5. The MAC address is located at the bottom of the screen, called Wired MAC Address.