MAC Address Lookup
Find the manufacturer behind a MAC address — and see whether it is a real hardware address at all, or one of the randomised private addresses phones now use on every Wi-Fi network.
Up to 50 at a time. The lookup runs in your browser against the IEEE registry — the addresses you type are never sent anywhere.
| MAC address | Manufacturer | Address type |
|---|
How the Lookup Works
Every network card is supposed to leave the factory with a unique 48-bit address. The first part of it — usually the first six hex characters — is a block the manufacturer bought from the IEEE, the body that runs the registry. This tool looks that block up in the IEEE’s own public listing, checking the smaller 28-bit and 36-bit blocks first, because a large block is sometimes split between several smaller companies.
More on what a MAC address is and how it differs from an IP address: MAC address vs IP address.
Randomised “Private” Addresses
Most phones no longer show their real hardware address to Wi-Fi networks. iPhones (since iOS 14) and Android phones (since Android 10) make up a different address for each network by default, so a shop or airport can’t follow the same device from one network to the next. Windows can do the same if you switch it on.
Those made-up addresses have one bit set that real hardware addresses don’t — the “locally administered”
bit, which shows up as a second hex character of 2, 6, A or
E. A lookup tool that reports a manufacturer for one of these is guessing. This one tells you it
is a private address instead.
Seeing an unfamiliar device on your network? If its address is randomised, the manufacturer column will be empty by design. Check your phone’s and laptop’s Wi-Fi settings — the “private address” shown there is usually the mystery device.
Reading the Address Type
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hardware | A globally unique address from a manufacturer’s block. The manufacturer shown is who made the network chip, which is not always the brand on the device. |
| Randomised / private | Locally administered: set by software, not the factory. Phones, virtual machines and some routers use these. |
| Multicast | Addresses a group of devices rather than one. Never belongs to a single piece of hardware. |
| Not in the registry | A hardware-style address whose block is not in the public IEEE list — unassigned, or simply made up. |
How to Find a MAC Address
| Device | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Windows | Run getmac /v in Command Prompt, or Settings → Network → your
connection → Hardware properties (“Physical address”). |
| macOS | System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → Hardware, or
ifconfig en0 | grep ether in Terminal. |
| Linux | ip link — the address after link/ether. |
| iPhone / Android | Wi-Fi settings → the network you’re on. With private addresses on, this shows the randomised one. |
| Everything on your network | Your router’s admin page, usually under connected devices or DHCP clients. |
What This Can’t Tell You
- Who owns a device. A MAC address identifies a chip maker, never a person.
- The real address behind a randomised one. That is the point of randomising it.
- Whether an address is genuine. Any MAC address can be changed in software, so a manufacturer match shows what the address claims, not what the device is.
- Anything about a website visitor. Your MAC address doesn’t travel beyond your local network, so websites see your IP address instead. The one exception is an older style of IPv6 address that has the MAC built into it; modern systems use privacy addresses that don’t, and the IPv6 test shows which kind you have.
What can the internet see about your connection?
What Is My IP Port Scanner Subnet CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to share my MAC address?
It only matters on your local network, where anyone connected can already see it. It doesn’t reveal your location or identity to websites, which don’t receive it — apart from the older IPv6 addresses mentioned above.
Why does the manufacturer not match my device’s brand?
The address belongs to the network chip, and many brands buy their Wi-Fi or Ethernet chips from someone else. A laptop can show the chip maker rather than the laptop maker.
What does “Private” mean as a manufacturer?
Some companies pay the IEEE to leave their name off the public listing. The block is assigned, but the owner is hidden.
How up to date is the data?
It is a copy of the IEEE public listings taken on the date shown under the results. New blocks are assigned all the time, so a very recent product can occasionally be missing.