How to Find and Change a MAC Address

MAC addresses are meant to be permanent, but you can change them

The method used to find a MAC address depends on the type of network device
involved. All popular network operating systems contain utility programs that allow
you to find (and sometimes change) MAC address settings.

A MAC (media access control) address consists of six pairs of hexadecimals and
identifies hardware on a network. Manufacturers embed this unique number at the
time of manufacture or store it in the firmware. It's generally not meant to be
changed.

Find a MAC Address in Windows

Use the ipconfig utility (with the /all option) to display the computer's MAC
address in modern versions of Windows. Very old versions of Windows (Windows 95 and
Windows 98) used the winipcfg utility instead.

Screenshot of an IPCONFIG ALL execution in Command Prompt

Both winipcfg and ipconfig may display multiple MAC addresses for one computer. One
MAC address exists for each installed network card. Additionally, Windows maintains
one or more MAC addresses that are not associated with hardware cards.

For example, Windows dial-up networking uses virtual MAC addresses to manage the
phone connection as if it were a network card. Some Windows VPN clients likewise
have their own MAC addresses. The MAC addresses of these virtual network adapters
are the same length and format as true hardware addresses.

Find a MAC Address in Unix or Linux

The specific command used in Unix to find a MAC address varies depending on the
version of the operating system. In Linux and in some forms of Unix, the command
ifconfig -a returns MAC addresses.

You also can find MAC addresses in Unix and Linux in the boot message sequence.
These operating systems display the computer's MAC address onscreen as the system
reboots. Additionally, boot-up messages are retained in a log file (usually
var/log/messages or /var/adm/messages).

Find a MAC Address on a Mac

You can find MAC addresses on Apple Mac computers in System Preferences > Network >
Advanced > Hardware.

MAC Address on macOS

If your system is running Open Transport, the MAC address appears under the Info or
User Mode/Advanced screens. If the system is running MacTCP, the MAC address
appears under the Ethernet icon.

Summary: How to Find a MAC Address

In summary, here's how to find a computer's MAC address:

Windows: ipconfig/all, or winipcfg

Linux and some Unix: ifconfig -a (note the first "f" in ifconfig; this is easy to
confuse with Windows' ipconfig)
Macintosh: Settings > Network > Advanced > Hardware
MAC addresses were designed to be fixed numbers that cannot be changed; however,
there are several valid reasons to change your MAC address.

Change a MAC Address to Work With Your ISP

Most internet subscriptions allow the customer only a single IP address. The
Internet Service Provider (ISP) might assign one static (fixed) IP address to each
customer. This approach, however, is an inefficient use of IP addresses, which are
currently in short supply. The ISP more commonly issues each customer a dynamic IP
address that changes each time the customer connects to the internet.

ISPs ensure each customer receives only one dynamic address using several methods.
Dial-up and many DSL services typically require the customer to log in with a
username and password. Cable modem services, on the other hand, do this by
registering and tracking the MAC address of the device that connects to the ISP.

The device with MAC address that is monitored by an ISP can be the cable modem, a
broadband router, or the PC that hosts the internet connection. The customer is
free to build a network behind this equipment, but the ISP expects the MAC address
to match the registered value at all times.

Whenever a customer replaces that device, however, or changes the network adapter
inside it, the MAC address of this new equipment will no longer match the one
registered at the ISP. In this case, the ISP typically disables the customer's
internet connection for security (and billing) reasons.

Although MAC addresses do not reveal geographic location information as IP

addresses do, changing MAC addresses can increase internet privacy in some
situations.

Change a MAC Address Through Cloning

Some people contact their ISPs to request they update the MAC addresses associated
with their subscriptions. This process works but takes time, and internet service
will be unavailable until the provider takes action.

A better way to quickly work around this problem is to change the MAC address on
the new device so that it matches the address of the original device. Although you
cannot change an actual physical MAC address in hardware, you can emulate it in
software. This process is called cloning.

Many broadband routers support MAC address cloning as an advanced configuration

option. The emulated MAC address appears to the service provider as identical to
the original hardware address. The specific procedure of cloning varies depending
on the type of router; consult your product documentation for details.

MAC Addresses and Cable Modems

In addition to MAC addresses tracked by ISPs, some broadband modems also track the
MAC address of the host computer's network adapter within the home network. If you
swap the computer connected to the broadband modem or change its network adapter,
your internet connection might not function afterward.

In this case, MAC address cloning is not required. Resetting (including recycling
power) on both the cable modem and the host computer will change the MAC address
stored inside the modem automatically.

Changing MAC Addresses Through the Operating System

Windows offers an easy way to change MAC addresses.

Type Windows + X, and then select Device Manager.

Screenshot of Device Manager in Windows 10
Device Manager (Windows 10).
Click Network adapters. Right-click on the adapter whose MAC address you'd like to
change and select Properties.

Click Advanced.

Click Locally Administered Address and then Value.

Clear the existing value, enter a new address without hyphens, and click OK.

Restart your computer.

In Linux and Unix

In Linux and some versions of Unix, ifconfig supports changing MAC addresses if the
necessary network card and driver support exist.

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