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How to find your MAC Address (Mac, Linux, Windows, Routers, iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo)

A MAC address is a unique ID number for a network adapter (the part of your computer that connects to the internet). It's kind of like a serial number for an internet-capable device.  Any device that connects to the internet (or a local network) has a MAC address - desktop computers, laptops, Playstations, Xboxes, and many other things.

This guide contains instructions for all of the following systems:

Instructions are also included for these older systems/devices:

Mac OS X

Method A

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left of your screen
  2. Select About this Mac
  3. Click on  the "More Info..."button
  4. Click on "Network"
  5. Under the "Active Services" column, select Airport or Built-in Ethernet
  6. Find the MAC Address listed below

Method B

  1. Open your Applications folder
  2. Find and open the Utilities folder
  3. Open the Terminal App
  4. Type the command ifconfig
  5. Your ethernet MAC Address will appear under en0 as 'ether'
    Your wireless MAC Address will appear under en1 as 'ether'

Method C

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left of your screen
  2. Select System Preferences
  3. Click on Network
  4. Select Ethernet
  5. Click on the "Advanced..." button
  6. Click on the Ethernet tab
  7. The MAC address will be the Ethernet ID

Linux

  1. Open a terminal
  2. Type the command ifconfig
  3. Your MAC Address will appear under en0 or en1 as 'ether'

Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7

  1. If you are activating an Ethernet (wired) connection, proceed to step 2. If you are trying to activate a wireless connection and your laptop has a button or switch that allows you to disable the wireless card, please enable or turn on the wireless card before proceeding.
  2. Open the Command Prompt
    • Method 1:  (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt).
    • Method 2: 
      1. On your keyboard, press the "Windows" key and "r" key at the same time.
      2. A window will appear with a prompt to open something, type "cmd" into the text box.
      3. Press OK.
  3. Type the command ipconfig /all
  4. If you are using your Ethernet (wired) connection, locate the section labeled "Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection"
    If you are using your Wireless connection, locate the section labeled "Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection"
  5. The 12 digit number listed as the Physical Address is the MAC address.

Important Notes:

Please be careful to not to use the Physical Address for Windows' Tunnel Adapter.  Tunnel Adapters typically appear at the end of the ipconfig /all results and use a Physical Address of 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0.  Scroll up within the command prompt window to locate the section you need.  You will also want to ignore any Virtual Adapters or Network Tunnels as well.

If you have previously changed the names of your network connections in the Network Connections area of your Control Panel, the results for the ipconfig /all command will reflect those alternate names and not the Windows' default names.

Routers

  1. With an Ethernet cable, connect the router's WAN or Internet port to your wall jack. Be sure to not plug any of the numbered ports into the wall jack.
  2. Connect your computer to your router either through wireless or by connecting a second Ethernet cable from one of the numbered ports to your computer's Ethernet port.
  3. Follow the instructions below for your computer:

Mac OS X

  1. Open your Applications folder
  2. Find and open the Utilities folder
  3. Open the Terminal App
  4. Type the command arp -a
  5. Your router should appear as the first entry.  The MAC Address will appear in the format 00:00:00:00:00:00

Windows

  1. Open the Command Prompt (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt).
  2. Type the command arp -a
  3. Your router should appear as the first entry.  The MAC Address will appear in the format 00:00:00:00:00:00

Alternate Method

Your router's WAN MAC Address may also be listed on the bottom or your router.  If only the LAN MAC Address is shown, you should be able to determine the WAN MAC by incrementing it by one.  MAC Addresses are in hexadecimal digits.  Rather than using only 0-9 to count, A through F is also utilized.   Therefore, if the MAC Address ends in 1C, incrementing it by one would result in 1D.   Likewise adding one to 2F would result in 30.

You could also log into the router from a browser (refer to the manufacturer's documentation) and find the WAN MAC Address listed somewhere in the interface.  The status section would be a good place to start.

iPhone and iPod Touch

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPod Touch
  2. Click on General.
  3. Click on About.
  4. Scroll down and find the Wi-Fi Address. This is your wireless MAC Address.

Blackberry

  1. At the Home screen, press the Menu key
  2. Click on Options
  3. Click on Status
  4. Locate the WLAN MAC Address

Windows Mobile - Pocket PC

  1. Click on the Windows Start button
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select Connections
  4. Open the WLAN or Wireless LAN Utility
  5. Select Advanced
  6. You should see your MAC Address listed

Google Android based Phone

  1. From the Home screen, select Menu.
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select About Phone
  4. Select Status
  5. Scroll down to find the Wi-Fi MAC Address

PS3 - Playstation 3

  1. Go to the Playstation 3 Main Menu
  2. Go to Settings -> System Settings -> System Information
  3. The MAC Address will be listed

Xbox 360

  1. Go to the System area of the Xbox Dashboard and select Network Settings.
  2. 2. Select "Edit Settings" (legacy dashboards) or "Configure Network" (newer dashboards).
  3. 3. From Additional Settings, select Advanced Settings.
  4. 4. At the bottom of this screen you'll see a heading called Wired MAC Address.

Wii

  1. Turn on your Wii.
  2. From the Wii Menu select Wii Options. (It is the round button in the lower left corner that says "Wii".)
  3. Select Wii Settings.
  4. Scroll to the right to Wii System Settings 2.
  5. Select Internet.
  6. Select Console Information.
  7. The MAC address will be displayed. It will consist of alphanumeric characters and have the format xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx.

PSP - Playstation Portable

  1. Go to the Settings menu
  2. Select System Settings
  3. Select System Information
  4. Your MAC Address will be displayed on the screen.

Nintendo DS and DSi

  1. From the menu, select the Settings icon.
  2. Use the right arrow to go to page 3.
  3. Select Internet
  4. Select Options
  5. Select System Information
  6. Your MAC Address will be displayed on the screen.

Apple TV

  1. Go to the Main menu and select Settings.
  2. Select About
  3. You will find your MAC Address listed as your Wireless ID or Ethernet ID

Older Systems

Windows 95/98/ME

  1. Open the Command Prompt (Start -> Programs -> Command Prompt).
  2. Type the command: winipcfg
  3. Your MAC address will be shown in the Adapter Address box.

Mac OS 9

  1. Select the Control Panel from the main menu
  2. Go to TCP/IP
  3. From the File Menu, select Get Info
  4. The MAC address will be shown as the Hardware Address

PS2 - Playstation 2

  1. Load the Network Adapter Startup Disc
  2. Select ISP Setup
  3. Select "Local Area Connection"
  4. Select "Automatic Configuration"
  5. Go to Advanced
  6. Go to Advanced Broadband Settings
  7. The MAC Address will be listed as the MAC Address

Xbox

  1. Turn on your Xbox console with no game disc in the disc tray.
  2. From the Xbox Dashboard, choose Xbox Live.
  3. From the Connect Status screen, select Settings.
  4. The MAC address is the 12-digit number at the bottom-right corner of the Network Settings screen.

GameCube

  1. With the broadband adapter removed from the Gamecube, the MAC address should be listed on the top of the adapter

Dreamcast

  1. Remove the Dreamcast's broadband adapter from the console. The MAC Address should be listed on the adapter
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