The MAC address is a unique identifier for the network card. It is needed in order to deliver data to a specific network node. Usually, the user does not need information about the MAC address, but in some cases it becomes necessary to find it out.
Instructions
Step 1
There are several ways to view information about the MAC address. First of all, you can see it on the packaging of the network card. If you have a laptop, the MAC address can be found on a sticker on the bottom of the computer. But there are faster ways to see the ID of the network card, which does not require studying the stickers.
Step 2
Open Command Prompt: Start - All Programs - Accessories - Command Prompt. Enter the command ipconfig / all and press Enter. In the list that opens, find the "Local Area Connection" section, and in it - "Physical address". This is the MAC address of your network card, it looks something like this: 00-26-22-71-F2-51.
Step 3
To view the identifier of the network card, you can use the standard Windows utility GetMac.exe. It should be run from the command line, for this type: getmac / s localhost and press Enter. At the very beginning of the line that opens, you will see the MAC address of the network card. This option works with Windows XP, but does not apply to Windows 7.
Step 4
Is the address of the network card unchanged? No, it is quite possible to change it - this is relevant if you need complete anonymity on the network. Open: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Network Connections". Select a local area connection and see its properties. In the "General" tab, in the "Connection via" line, click the "Configure" button. In the "Property" column, select the "Network address" item and specify the value you need. Do not forget that after restarting the computer, the original network address will return.
Step 5
If you are running Linux, you can view the MAC address of your network card using the command ifconfig -a | grep HWaddr, it must be executed in the console. Changing the network address is also possible through the console, to do this, log in with administrator rights and run the command ifconfig ethX hw ether xx: xx: xx: xx: xx: xx, where ethX is the name of the network interface, and xx: xx: xx: xx: xx: xx - new MAC address data. For example, the command might look like this: ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00: 00: 00: 00: 00: 00.
