Targeted ads followed people throughout the city in response to their movements and online habits. In 2013, an advertising company in London used trash cans with Wi-Fi to detect and track MAC address’ movements. A unified Wi-Fi system could be used to track users’ locations in an airport or a city. As you move with your device from one Wi-Fi point to another, it broadcasts its MAC address to connect to new points. Tracking your locationĬompanies may use MAC addresses to track your location. However, it can be used to monitor your location, disrupt your internet access, or even perform a man-in-the-middle attack. MAC addresses are generally secure since attacks are difficult to implement and require extensive technological know-how. How your MAC address makes you vulnerable

Your MAC address is listed as the “Wi-Fi Address.”.

Tap “Advanced,” and under “Network details” you’ll see your MAC address.

Tap on “Wi-Fi” and select the network you’re connected to.

Go to “Settings” and “Network and internet.”.

You will see your MAC address listed as ‘Wi-Fi MAC address.”.

Select the “Hardware” tab at the top to see your MAC address.

Click on the Wi-Fi icon on the top of your screen and select “Wi-Fi settings” in the drop-down menu.

Look for “Physical address” - the letters and numbers next to it are that adapter’s MAC address.

When the command window shows up, type “ipconfig/all,” and press “Enter.”.

Press the “Windows” key on your keyboard, type “cmd,” and press “Enter.”.

For example:įollow the steps below to find your device’s MAC address. Most MAC addresses consist of 12 letters or numbers across six pairs. Your router will then assign you an IP address and let you connect to the internet.įinding your MAC address manually is easy. When it detects a router, your device sends its MAC address through to form a connection. MAC addresses are also sometimes called physical, burned-in or hardware addresses.Ī MAC address is essential for successful interaction between local network devices. The NIC manufacturer provides each card with a unique MAC address. But while IP addresses change constantly, MAC addresses are static because they are only used in the local network.Įvery connected device has a network interface card (NIC) that allows it to connect to a network. As IP addresses identify a network connection, MAC addresses identify hardware. We need these addresses to be able to connect to the internet to send or receive data. The MAC address is assigned to a network interface card that every connected device has. MAC addresses consist of 12 characters grouped into six pairs, for example 0A:1B:2C:3A:44:5C.

MAC (short for “media access control”) address is a series of numbers and letters that identify a network device.

How to find mac address of mac