Finding a MAC address

What's a MAC address?

A MAC address, sometimes called a hardware address or physical address, is a unique number that identifies a computer or other device on a network. Brandeis technical staff may sometimes need you to find the MAC address of your device to assist them in solving a problem.

What does a MAC address look like? 

People write MAC addresses as 12 digit hexidecimal numbers, meaning that they can use the letters A through F as well as the numbers 0 through 9. Sometimes they are broken up with dashes or colons every two digits. For example, a MAC address might look like any of these:

  • 00:00:6C:12:34:56
  • 00-05-4F-12-34-56
  • 0006AF123456

The letters in all those examples are in uppercase, but uppercase and lowercase are interchangeable.

Where can I find my MAC address?

In the on-screen display, look for screens with system, network, or Internet in the name. See below for detailed instructions for popular devices.

Sometimes you can also find a device's MAC address physically written on it. Even if it's not labeled, a 12-digit string that meets the requirements above is a good bet. 

Windows Vista, XP, or 2000

  1. Open the Start ment and select Run.
  2. Type cmd and press enter.
  3. Type ipconfig/all and press enter.
  4. Look for a line labeled Physical Address. Depending on the kind of computer you have, there may be several addresses listed. When in doubt, note them all down.

Mac OS X

  1. Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
  2. Click the Network icon under the Internet & Network heading.
  3. Select Built-in Ethernet for a wired connection or Airport for a wireless connection.
  4. Depending on your version of Mac OS X, you may have to click a Configure button.
  5. Look for Ethernet Address.

Xbox 360

  1. From the Xbox Dashboard, select System.
  2. Select Network Settings.
  3. Select Edit Settings.
  4. Select Additional Settings.
  5. Select Advanced Settings.
  6. The MAC address is the 12-digit number under the heading Wired MAC Address at the bottom of the screen.

Playstation 3

  1. Go to the PS3 main menu screen.
  2. Select the Settings icon.
  3. Select the System Settings icon.
  4. Select the System Information icon.
  5. Look for the MAC address, which is a 12-digit number.

Wii

  1. Go to the Wii channel menu.
  2. Select Wii Settings.
  3. Select Internet.
  4. Select Console Settings.
  5. Look for the MAC address, which is a 12-digit number.

TiVo

  1. Connect the external network adaptor to your TiVo.
  2. Press the TiVo button to enter TiVo Central.
  3. Select Messages & Settings.
  4. Select Settings.
  5. Select Phone & Network.
  6. The MAC address is the 12-digit number on the right side of the screen, near the top.

Xbox

  1. Turn on your Xbox with no game disc in the disc tray.
  2. From the Xbox Dashboard, select Xbox Live.
  3. You will see a message about being unable to connect to Xbox Live. You can safely ignore it.
  4. From the Connect Status screen, select Settings.
  5. The MAC address is the 12-digit number at the bottom-right corner of the Network Settings screen.

Playstation 2

  1. Disconnect the network cable from your Playstation 2.
  2. Insert the Start-up CD into your Playstation 2 and power it on.
  3. Follow the directions until you reach the network connection test. Since you disconnected the network cable the test will fail.
  4. Press the Select button.
  5. The MAC address is the 12-digit number that appears.

Gamecube

  1. Remove the GameCube's broadband adapter from the console.
  2. The MAC address is the 12-digit number printed on the bottom of the adapter.
This page was last modified on: Aug 19, 2008