#How to get mac address of pc software
#How to get mac address of pc mac

#How to get mac address of pc mac

MAC addresses are useful for network diagnosis because they never change, as opposed to a dynamic IP address, which can change from time to time. MAC addresses are very useful in diagnosing network issues, such as problems with IP addresses. Networks and MAC addresses.Īll devices on the same network subnet have different MAC addresses.

It’s common for the larger manufacturers of networking equipment to have more than one set of OUIs. The OUI is typically right at the front of the address.įor example, consider a network adapter with the MAC address “ 00-14-22-01-23-45.” The OUI for the manufacture of this router is the first three octets-”00-14-22.” Here are the OUI for other some well-known manufacturers. These manufacturers all place a special number sequence (called the Organizationally Unique Identifier or OUI) in the MAC address that identifies them as the manufacturer. Some well-known manufacturers of network adapters or NICs are Dell, Belkin, Nortel and Cisco. The MAC address is a string of usually six sets of two-digits or characters, separated by colons. Here’s an example of a MAC address for an Ethernet NIC: 00:0a:95:9d:68:16.Īs you’ve probably noticed, the MAC address itself doesn’t look anything like an IP address (see yours here).

#How to get mac address of pc software

Once again, that’s hardware and software working together, IP addresses and MAC addresses working together.įor this reason, the MAC address is sometimes referred to as a networking hardware address, the burned-in address (BIA), or the physical address. The ARP is like a passport that takes data from an IP address through an actual piece of computer hardware. Something called the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) translates an IP address into a MAC address. It is hardwired or hard-coded onto your computer’s network interface card (NIC) and is unique to it. Where IP addresses are associated with TCP/IP (networking software), MAC addresses are linked to the hardware of network adapters.Ī MAC address is given to a network adapter when it is manufactured. Meet Mac.Įvery NIC has a hardware address that’s known as a MAC, for Media Access Control. The NIC is essentially a computer circuit card that makes it possible for your computer to connect to a network.Ī NIC turns data into an electrical signal that can be transmitted over the network. Typically it is tied to a key connection device in your computer called the network interface card, or NIC. So not surprisingly, along with an IP address (which is networks software), there’s also a hardware address. This means that 2 24 (= 16.777.216) unique OUAs can be assigned per OUI.Whether you work in a wired network office or a wireless one, one thing is common for both environments: It takes both network software and hardware (cables, routers, etc.) to transfer data from your computer to another-or from a computer thousands of miles away to yours.Īnd in the end, to get the data you want right to YOU, it comes down to addresses. Bit 25-48 (network adapter identifier): Bits 25 to 48 provide device manufacturers with 24 bits for assigning a unique hardware identifier (organizationally unique address, OUA).A corresponding service is available, for example, on. The assignment of OUIs is usually public and can be determined via databases. Bit 3–24 (manufacturer identification): Bits 3 to 24 encode an identifier (organizationally unique identifier, OUI), which is assigned exclusively to hardware manufacturers by IEEE.Addresses that are only locally unique are called locally administered address (LAA) and are marked with U/L = 1. If U/L = 0, the address is valid worldwide as a universally administered address (UAA). Bit 2 (registry): The second bit of the MAC address indicates whether it is an address with global validity (universal) or whether the address has been assigned locally (local).Multicast addresses are identified by I/G = 1 and are addressed to several receivers.

If I/G = 0, it is a unicast address for a single network adapter.

This bit is called I/G (short for individual/group).

Bit 1 (receiver): The first bit of the MAC address specifies whether it is an individual or group address.

The bit sequence of each MAC address is divided into 4 areas, each of which encodes different information.