How to Check the MAC Address of a Laptop
To find the MAC address of a laptop on Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig /all, then read the Physical Address under your Wi-Fi adapter. On a MacBook, open System Settings > Wi-Fi > Details and read the MAC address. A MAC address is a hardware ID for the network adapter, and it has nothing to do with Apple Mac computers.
Updated 8 November 2026
What is a MAC address?
MAC stands for Media Access Control. It is a unique 12-character ID given to each network adapter, written like 3C:22:FB:7A:10:9E. A laptop usually has one MAC address for Wi-Fi and a separate one for its Ethernet port or a USB network adapter.
You may need it when a university, office or home router only allows approved devices, when your internet provider asks for it, or when you set up parental controls.
Find the MAC address on Windows 11 or Windows 10 (Settings)
- Windows 11: open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Hardware properties. The MAC address (Physical address) is at the bottom.
- Windows 10: open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, click your network, then scroll down to Properties and read Physical address (MAC).
For the Ethernet port, open the Ethernet section instead of Wi-Fi.
Find the MAC address with Command Prompt
Press Windows + R, type cmd and press Enter. Then:
- Type ipconfig /all and press Enter. Find the section for your Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi (or Ethernet adapter) and read the Physical Address line.
- Or type getmac /v for a short list of every adapter and its address.
This method works on every Windows laptop, including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Asus models.
Find the MAC address on a MacBook
- Open System Settings > Wi-Fi, click Details next to your network and scroll to the MAC address.
- Or hold the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar to see the address and other details.
- In Terminal, type ifconfig en0 | grep ether to show the Wi-Fi hardware address on most MacBooks.
These steps work on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo.
Find the MAC address with PowerShell or Control Panel
PowerShell gives a clean list. Right-click the Start button, open Terminal or Windows PowerShell and type Get-NetAdapter. The MacAddress column shows the address of every adapter, with its name and status, so you can see which one is connected.
The older Control Panel route still works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11: open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings, double-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, click Details and read Physical Address. This is handy when Settings shows too little information.
When you need your laptop's MAC address
- University and hostel Wi-Fi: many campuses in Pakistan register each student device by its MAC address before it can connect.
- Office networks: IT teams often whitelist laptops by MAC address for security.
- Home routers: you can block unknown devices, set parental controls or reserve a fixed IP address for your laptop.
- Internet providers: some cable and fibre connections are locked to one device's MAC address.
Copy the address carefully. A, B, C, D, E and F are letters, and 0 is a zero, not the letter O. Dashes and colons mean the same thing, so 3C-22-FB and 3C:22:FB are the same address.
Private and random MAC addresses
Newer versions of Windows and macOS can use a private or random hardware address for each Wi-Fi network, to protect your privacy. If a router blocks you after you gave it your MAC address, turn off Random hardware addresses (Windows) or Private Wi-Fi address (Mac) for that one network, then check the address again.
MAC address vs IP address
The MAC address belongs to the network adapter and normally does not change. The IP address is given by the router or internet provider and can change each time you connect. ipconfig on Windows shows both, so make sure you copy the Physical Address, not the IPv4 Address.
Other laptop checks worth knowing
If you are checking a laptop before buying, the MAC address will not tell you its age or condition. Use our guides to check the processor generation, battery health and warranty instead: How to Check Your Laptop's Processor Generation, How to Check Laptop Battery Health on Windows and Mac and How to Check Laptop Warranty (HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, Asus, Acer). Every laptop on our store is Non Custom box pack.
