The MAC (media access controller) address is a unique identification number for your computer’s networking hardware. Generally, it just works, but sometimes you need to change it. Apple and Microsoft don’t make it easy to change your MAC address, but it is possible.
Why Would You Want to Change it?
Bluetooth MAC Address Changer for Windows is a freeware tool which allows you to change the bluetooth MAC address of your adapter. Bluetooth MAC address is also known as 'Bluetooth Address', 'BDADDR', 'Bluetooth hardware id'. I followed the process for windows 10 to change my MAC address but it does not change anything. Even after I reset my computer(HP laptop). I have tried: I have tried to change the mac address through device manager, network and sharing center, and even tried to download a VPN but none of them worked to change the mac address.
This setting doesn’t give you any speed or performance benefit. It’s like the phone number of your hardware. If you change it to an existing number, you’ll confuse your network.
The most common reason for changing your MAC address is some other device is locked to an old address. Your router or another piece of hardware might only accept or give out connections to a particular MAC address. I ran into this problem once connecting to my office computer. The IT help desk was closed, but I needed to connect to the network with a different laptop. Once I changed my new laptop to my old laptop’s MAC address I got into the network.
Another reason to change your MAC address is for wifi networks that limit the time or number of connections. You shouldn’t use this to bypass time restrictions on a network, but you can transfer your connection time to another MAC address. For example, you might sign up for a few hours of Wi-Fi on your tablet. Then want to use your laptop on the network. Instead of paying for another connection, changing your laptop’s MAC to the MAC address of your tablet might get you out of paying for an extra connection.
Be Ethical: Don’t use this to circumvent security or cheat.Finally, someone can track you through your MAC address. You might want to change it each time you connect to a network or just use a random address.
How to Find a MAC Address On a PC
If you’re on a PC, the easiest way is through the command prompt. Type
ipconfig /all
and you’ll see all your network interfaces and the physical address. That’s the MAC address.
You can also find it by going to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections. Then right-click on the network adapter and pick Status > Details. Again, the physical address is the MAC address.
PC Command Prompt Tips: Here’s a list of cool command prompt tips. You can even install apps from the command prompt.How to Find a MAC Address On a Mac
If you’re on a wireless network, hold down the
Select the interface you’re checking, then go to
You can also type
ifconfig
in terminal, and that will tell you the MAC address of all your interfaces.
The Easy Way to Change This on a Mac
The best program I’ve found for this on the Mac is WifiSpoof. It’s $9.99, but they offer a free 2-week trial. It not only makes it easy to change the address but runs as a menu bar icon if you want. It can randomize the MAC address each time it’s run. If you’re concerned about tracking, this is the app for you.
If all you want is a simple way to change the address, Mac MACSpoof does this for a $4.99 optional purchase. The interface isn’t as slick and the app requires an additional “helper” app to install.
The Easy Way to Change This on a PC
Just like on a Mac, a third-party software makes this easy for a PC. For example, Technitium MAC Address Changer is a free program that does this for you.
What I like about this app is it lets you pick a random MAC address if all you’re interested in is changing the address for testing purposes. It also enables you to know which addresses are active.
NoVirusThanks’s MAC Address Changer is another free program. It has fewer options, but it is easier to use than Technitium’s version.
Windows 10 users: Your computer’s hardware might support automatic MAC randomization.The Direct Way to Change This on a Mac
If you feel comfortable in the OS X terminal type the command
sudo ifconfig en0 xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Replacing the XX with the number of the new MAC address.
The Direct Way to Change This on a PC
Similar to the direct way on a Mac, this way works without third-party software. Head on over to Device Manager. Then click the disclosure triangle and find the adapter you want to change. Again remember, each type of adapter uses a unique MAC address.
After you find your adapter, click
Remember to Change It Back
Whichever option you choose, don’t forget to change the MAC address back when you’re done. If you don’t, you might have problems on other networks. If your goal is to use a random address, you might have trouble if someone is already using that MAC address.
ALSO SEE:How to Prevent a Mac From Connecting to the Wrong Wireless Network
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Also See#network #settings
Did You Know
Microsoft holds over 59,000 US and international patents.
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What Is A MAC Address And How To Change It
A MAC (Media Access Control) address is required to identify individual devices connected to the network. No matter which network (wired or wireless) used, you will require hardware such as cables and routers, and software to transmit data from your device or computer to the router or ISP server, and vice versa. MAC and IP addresses are unique identifiers, both of which make data transmission on a network possible.
A MAC address is a unique code or identification number also known as a physical or hardware address. MAC addresses are often assigned by the manufacturer of a network interface controller and stored in hardware such as the card's read-only memory or other firmware mechanism. A MAC address consists of 12-digit hexadecimal numbers, often in a format such as 00:0A:H4:79:67:M5. The number usually remains constant. This is different to an IP address, which changes when moved from one network to another. It is, however, possible to find and modify the MAC address if required.
Not all network drivers support an option to change the MAC address. In this guide, we show how to determine your MAC address and how to change it (if this feature is supported by your network driver). You will find screenshots and simple steps described in the guide below.
Table of Contents:
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How To Find MAC Address
To find your MAC address, you will need to use Command Prompt. Command Prompt is the input field in a text-based user interface screen, a command line interpreter application available in most Windows operating systems. It is used to execute entered commands, most of which are used to automate tasks through scripts and batch files, perform advanced administrative functions, troubleshoot and solve certain types of Windows issues. To use Command Prompt, you must enter a valid command together with any optional parameters. It then executes the command as entered and performs whatever task or function it is designed to perform in Windows. To launch elevated Command Prompt (to run it as administrator), type 'command prompt' in Search and right-click the 'Command Prompt' result. Then select the 'Run as administrator' option from the contextual menu.
Once you have the Command Prompt open, type the 'getmac' /v /fo list' command, press Enter on your keyboard and look for the MAC address next to the 'Physical Address' line. Another way to get the MAC address is to execute the 'ipconfig /all' command and look for it next to the 'Physical Address' line.
Change Your MAC address Using Device Manager
The device Manager tool can be found in most versions of Windows. It is used to manage installed hardware devices. You can find all installed hardware devices such as monitors, network adapters, display adapters, keyboards, disk drives, audio inputs and outputs, sound, video and game controllers, etc. Using Device Manager, you can get information about installed hardware devices and drivers, and also change the MAC address, disable a particular device, update or uninstall drivers automatically or manually, roll back a driver to its previous state (version), scan for hardware changes (if there were any or if Windows could not reinstall uninstalled drivers or update them automatically), and configure power management settings. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting the 'Device Manager' result from the contextual menu, or type 'device manager' in Search and click the 'Device Manager' result.
Mac Address Changer Windows 10
In Device Manager you will see a list of devices connected to your computer. Expand the 'Network adapters' section and right-click your network adapter. Select 'Properties' from the contextual menu.
In the network adapter properties window, select the 'Advanced' tab and select 'Network Address' or 'Locally Administered Address' (depending on your network adapter) and enable the 'Value' option. Then type your desired (hexadecimal) MAC address without any separating characters. Click 'OK' when finished. If there is no 'Advanced' tab in your network adapter properties window, your network adapter does not support this feature.
If you want to undo the changes and return the old MAC address, simply enable the 'Not Present' option when in the network adapter properties window.
Change Mac Address For Pc Windows 8
Change Your MAC Address Using Registry Editor
Windows Registry, usually referred to as just 'the registry', is a collection of databases of configuration settings in Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is used to store much of the information and settings for software programs, hardware devices, user preferences, operating system configurations, and much more. Many of the options exposed in the registry are not accessible elsewhere in Windows. In this guide, we show how to change the MAC address using this Windows tool. Please note that incorrectly changing Windows Registry might damage your operating system irreversibly.
Before you start configuring Windows registry, you will need to open Command Prompt and execute the 'net config rdr' command. Write down the 'Workstation active on' number or leave the Command Prompt open. You will need to use this number in future steps.
To open Registry Editor, open the Run dialog box. Press the Windows Windows key + R or right-click Start and select 'Run' and type 'regedit'. Press Enter or click 'OK'.
Now follow this path 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass', find the '{4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}'. Type under the Class key and expand it. You will see keys such as '0000', '0001'. '0002', and so on. Select them one by one and see which contains the number in Command Prompt. Look for the number on the right pane near 'NetCfgInstanceId'. In our case, we found it in the '0010' key.
Right-click the key where the number (in our case, it is 0010) was found and select 'New'. Then select 'String Value' and name it 'NetworkAddress'.
Double-click the newly created NetworkAddress string in the right pane and enter your desired 12-digit hexademical MAC address in the 'Value data' box. Click 'OK' to save the changes and restart your computer to apply them.
Bear in mind that your desired MAC address might need to have A, E, 2 or 6 as the second character. In some cases, network adapters do not work properly if the second character does not match one of these.
Change Your MAC Using NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer
NoVirusThaks MAC address Changer is a tool that allows you to easily change the MAC address of any network adapter in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10. It is free and very easy to use. You can change the MAC address into your desired one manually or allow this tool to generate a random MAC address for you. Click this link to download the NoVirusThanks MAC address Changer, install and open it. Then select your network adapter and click 'Change MAC' button.
Change Mac Address On Windows Pc
You will see your current MAC address. Change it to your desired address and click 'Change' button. Alternatively, click the 'Randomize' button and it will generate a random MAC address for you. Then click the 'Change' button to apply it.
Change Mac Address For Pc Gaming
If you want to restore your MAC address to the previous one (default MAC address), simply click the 'Restore MAC' button.
We hope this guide was useful and you now know what a MAC address is used for and how to change it manually using Windows tools or automatically using a third-party tool such as NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer. If you have any questions relating to this topic, do not hesitate to leave a comment in the section below.
Change Mac Address For Mac Os
Video Showing How To Change Your MAC Address: