This article will help you find the MAC (Media Access Control) address on your device: it may be referred to as a "MAC address", "physical address", "hardware address", or "ethernet address". This is unrelated to whether or not the device is a Mac computer. It refers to a unique identifier of your network card, which is the component that allows you to connect to the network, either wired or wireless. If your device can connect to both wired and wireless networks (most laptops can), it will have different MAC addresses for each connection type.
What does a MAC address look like?
It should be a 12-character series of alphanumeric pairs, separated by either a dash or a colon. Letters may or may not be capitalized. They will look like this:
- 0a:1b:2c:3d:4e:5f
- 0a-1b-2c-3d-4e-5f
Finding the MAC address on your device
Carnegie Melon's How to Find Your Device MAC Address lists most devices (including phones, computers, gaming consoles, etc.).
What if my device isn't listed?
A quick Google search of the make and model of your device plus "MAC address" will usually reveal instructions. If you need help, please contact the Helpdesk for assistance.