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How to find the address Mac of a Windows computer

Identify the physical address of an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi….

TopicIT Networking →
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Network. Beginner 2 min.

Identify the physical address of an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi.

Avant de commencer : adaptez toujours les commandes et manipulations à votre environnement. Sur un système de production, prévoyez une backup ou un retour arrière lorsque l’action peut modifier la configuration.

Étapes à suivre

  1. 1

    Open a terminal.

    Launch it, command prompt.

  2. 2

    Show interfaces.

    Run getmac /v or ipconfig /all.

  3. 3

    Find the active interface.

    Identify Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

  4. 4

    Read the physical address.

    L,Address(47) is usually composed of six hexadecimal groups.

Commands utiles

germac /v.
ipconfig /all.

À retenir

  • Smartphones and some systems can use random Mac addresses in Wi-Fi.
  • L,Address(s)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)((((TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(TM)(((TM)(TM)((((TM)(TM)(TM)((((((TM)(((((TM)(TM)))((TM)((((TM)))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((
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Technical deep dive

Windows addressing: useful reference points

Technical checkpoints

  • An address in 169.254.0.0/16 is APIPA: Windows did not obtain a usable DHCP lease.
  • Read address, mask, gateway and DNS
  • Get-NetIPConfiguration gives a structured per-interface view; ipconfig /all remains useful for DHCP lease, DNS suffix and physical address.

Example check

Compare the active adapter, DHCP origin, gateway and DNS before renewing the lease.

Get-NetIPConfiguration
ipconfig /all

Topic-specific pitfalls

  • Renewing DHCP does not fix a wrong VLAN, an unauthorized switch port or a missing DHCP server.
  • A virtual or VPN adapter can appear before the interface actually in use: check InterfaceAlias and the default route.

How to validate

  • The address belongs to the expected subnet and no APIPA is present on the interface in use.
  • Gateway, DNS and DHCP lease match the expected network; the test is repeated after any change.
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