Find MAC Address Windows 11: Settings, getmac and Random MAC

A MAC address is the hardware address of a network adapter: six pairs of letters and numbers such as 3C-A9-F4-xx-xx-xx. Routers use it to recognise devices, give them a reserved IP address or block them, and work or school networks sometimes ask for it before letting a laptop join. This guide shows how to find your MAC address in Windows 11 in Settings and from the command line, why there may be several, and why Wi-Fi sometimes shows an address that is not the adapter’s real one.

The steps apply to Windows 11 version 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2.

Method 1: Settings

1. Select Start > Settings > Network & internet.
2. For wireless, select Wi-Fi and then the network you are connected to. For a cable, select Ethernet.
3. Scroll to the properties list and find Physical address (MAC).

You can also select Properties next to the connected network on the main Network & internet page. The same list shows the IPv4 address, DNS servers and the adapter’s description. To see the Wi-Fi adapter’s details without being connected, use one of the command methods below.

Method 2: getmac

Microsoft’s getmac command lists the physical address of each network adapter.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal.
2. Type getmac /v and press Enter.

The /v switch adds the connection name (Wi-Fi, Ethernet) and adapter name, which makes the list easy to read. Adapters that are not connected show “Media disconnected” in the transport column, but their physical address is still listed.

Method 3: ipconfig /all

ipconfig /all shows the full configuration of every adapter, including Physical Address. It is longer than getmac but also gives the IP address, gateway and DNS servers in one place, which is handy for support requests. Our guide to find your IP address in Windows 11 explains the other fields.

Several MAC addresses: which one?

Each network adapter has its own address, so it is normal to see several:

Adapter	When you need its MAC
Wi-Fi	Router reservations or filters for wireless, school or hotel Wi-Fi registration
Ethernet (built-in)	Wired office networks, router reservations for a desk PC
USB dock or adapter	When the dock’s port is the one plugged into the network
Bluetooth	Rarely needed; shown in some tools
Virtual (VPN, Hyper-V, WSL)	Not normally needed

Give the address of the adapter you will actually connect with. A dock’s Ethernet port has its own MAC, separate from the laptop’s.

Random hardware addresses

Windows 11 can use a random MAC address on Wi-Fi to make it harder to track your device as it moves between networks. Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page explains that when you search for networks, your device broadcasts its physical (MAC) address, and that random hardware addresses help protect your privacy.

Microsoft documents two switches:

• All networks: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Random hardware addresses.
• One network: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, then the Random hardware addresses option for that network.

When random addresses are on for a network, the Physical address (MAC) shown for that connection is the random one, and that is the address the router sees. That has two practical effects:

1. Router filters and reservations. If you add the address to a router’s allow list or reserve an IP for it, then later turn random addresses off (or the address changes), the router no longer recognises the PC. For your home network, turn random addresses off for that network before you copy the MAC into the router.
2. Registration portals. Campus and hotel networks that register devices by MAC may ask you to log in again if the address changes. Keep the address fixed for those networks if re-registering becomes a nuisance.

Whether the option appears depends on the Wi-Fi adapter and its driver. If you do not see it, update the driver; see update drivers in Windows 11.

Using the MAC address on your router

The two most common reasons to look up a MAC address at home are reservations and filters:

• DHCP reservation tells the router to always give the same IP address to one MAC address. It is the cleanest way to keep a printer, NAS or desktop PC at a fixed address, and it is safer than typing a manual IP into Windows.
• MAC filtering lets only listed MAC addresses join the network. It sounds secure, but MAC addresses are sent in the clear and can be copied, and random hardware addresses make lists hard to maintain. A strong Wi-Fi password with WPA2 or WPA3 protects the network far better.

Copy the address exactly as Windows shows it. Routers accept either dashes (3C-A9-F4-…) or colons (3C:A9:F4:…), and letters are not case sensitive.

Changing a MAC address

Some guides suggest editing the adapter’s advanced properties or the registry to set a custom MAC. We do not cover that: it can break network access, and on work networks it may breach policy. For privacy, Microsoft’s random hardware addresses setting is the supported option.

Troubleshooting

• Physical address shows as blank or dashes: the adapter is disabled or has no driver. Check Device Manager under Network adapters.
• Router shows an unknown device with your PC’s name: compare the MAC in the router list with Settings; random addresses are the usual explanation.
• Network access refused after a reset: if you ran reset network settings, random address settings may have changed. Check them again.

For more on Wi-Fi options, see Windows 11 Wi-Fi settings, and if the connection itself is unreliable, Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. The Bluetooth radio’s version is covered in check Bluetooth version in Windows 11.