What is MAC address? How to Find or Locate MAC address?

MAC address

MAC address stands for Media Access Controller Address. 

MAC address is also called as hardware address or Ethernet address or physical address of a computer (end entities/devices in network capable of sending and receiving bits). 

MAC address is of 48 bit and it is represented in hexadecimal notation. These 48 bits are grouped into 6 part. each part contains 8 bit, which is called as octet. two octets are separated by either a colon (:) or by hyphen (-).

Each computer that is going to connect on network must have an ethernet card (NIC card) and MAC address assigned to that card. MAC address is assigned to NIC card by the manufacturer of NIC card. 

As earlier discussed earlier MAC address is of 48 bit (6 octet), in which 24 bit (first 3 octet) represent manufacturer ID and remaining 24 bits (remaining or last 3 octet) represent the serial number of card manufactured by manufacturer.

Example

1. 1A-2B-3C-4D-5E-6F
2. 9F:7E:5D:3C:1B:2A

In First MAC address '1A-2B-3C' is Manufacturer ID and '4D-5E-6F' Serial Number of NIC card.

MAC address is used to communicate over Data Link Layer. It is also used to communicate over Local Area Network or broadcast network.

If NIC card or Ethernet card is available in computer but driver software for it is not installed then it cant work. It cant show you Local Area Connection icon. It can not show MAC address of it. It cannot connect computer over network. To make NIC card usable, it is must to install driver software. After successful installation of driver, Local Area Connection icon is visible and MAC address can be located.

In this article I am going to show some steps which gives you How to Locate MAC address of Computer. MAC address can be located using different methods. here I am going to tell you two ways of locating MAC address.

Method 1 using command prompt.

First of all you have to open command prompt. There are different ways of opening command prompt. 

Following are ways of opening command prompt.
 

1. Click on start, then click on run (which opens run wizard) and type cmd and press enter
2. Press windows+r to get run wizard. Now type cmd and press enter.
3. Click on start and type command prompt, command prompt icon is displayed. click on command prompt.
4. Another way is to start --> all programs --> accessories --> command prompt.

Command Prompt

From above method you will get command prompt Next you have locate MAC address so again there are two commands.

First command is the getmac command. This command is used to get MAC address of your computer. So you just have to enter getmac into command prompt and press enter. Result of this command show you physical address and transport name. The field under physical address is your MAC address.

getmac command

getmac command result

Second command is the ipconfig. This command shows windows IP configuration details on command prompt. You just has to type ipconfig /all in command prompt and press enter. Result similar to following result will appear. the result contains windows IP configuration and Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection. Just find the field physical address which will show you MAC address of your computer.

ipconfig /all command result

Second Method

Another way is to locate MAC address is find icon of local area connection on taskbar and click on that. find Open Network and Sharing Center and click on that.

Network Sharing center will appear. Now find Local Area connection or go to change adapter setting and the go to Local Area Connection.

Network and Sharing Center

Now Local Area Connection Status will appear. Here find details and click on it to view details of Local Area Connection.

Local Area Connection Status

Now Local Area Connection details will appear in that find physical address will appear. In front of physical address there is MAC address of system.

Network Connection Details

 These are the ways to find MAC address of computer systems. MAC address can be located using command prompt or by using Ethernet adapter details.