The majority of contemporary IT equipment, including servers and routers, have unique identifiers. We’ll go into great detail about its function in this content, and it goes by the name of MAC address.
What is a MAC address
At the time of assembly, the manufacturer assigns a unique number to the item. It functions somewhat like a “passport.”
What does a MAC address look like?
Twelve characters, including letters and digits, make up the MAC adress. The manufacturer’s code is indicated by the first six characters. A set of values is assigned to each manufacturer of network cards and Wi-Fi adapters, depending on the device.
The NIC, a unique card that enables the computer to connect to the network, is identified by the final six characters. There are other ways to write MAC addresses, such as using periods, colons, or dashes.
What is a MAC address for?
MAC addresses are used to diagnose issues and identify network data senders and recipients. They can also be applied to stop unauthorized users from accessing the network. Filtering is activated to accomplish this, and the router is then set up to only accept traffic from designated MAC addresses.
How to find out MAC address
To find out the MAC address on Windows, you need to follow these steps:
- Using the Win + R key combination, open the command line;
- Type cmd and press Enter;
- In the console that opens, enter the command ipconfig /all.
On Linux, you will need to connect via SSH to the server and enter the following commands:
- ifconfig –a;
- ip link list;
- ip address show.
For those using Apple devices, you will need to open Terminal in Launchliad and type the ifconfig command. The MAC address will be listed in the ether line.
How to change MAC address
The device’s MAC address cannot be altered because it is built into the hardware, in contrast to the IP address. On the other hand, the software allows you to modify the MAC addres. It’s fascinating to note that it usually wins out over hardware. To accomplish this, you’ll need:
- Use the Win + R key combination to open the command line;
- Enter the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter;
In the “Device Manager” that opens, expand “Network adapters”;
Right-click on the desired adapter and select “Properties”;
In the adapter properties window, select the “Advanced” tab, find the “Network Address” item and set a new value there without a hyphen, colon or other punctuation marks.
The MAC address is made up of Latin letters A through F in addition to digits 0 through 9. It is crucial to keep in mind that dialing random addresses is prohibited by a variety of limitations. You need to restart your computer or network adapter for the modifications to take effect.
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