I always prefer to find the MAC address on Windows 10 through Settings app. Find MAC address on Windows 10 without Command Prompt Here’s how to get the MAC address on Windows 10. If you have both wired and wireless network adapter, each of them has its own unique piece of MAC address.ĭepending on which adapter you’re using, only the MAC address of the adapter that you are currently using will indirectly represent your computer. This is only partly correct because MAC address is the unique hardware ID of your network device, for example, your Ethernet LAN or WiFi adapter. If you ever need to know the MAC address of your network device, here’s how to find MAC address on Windows 10 with or without command prompt for laptop or desktop PC.Ī misconception exists among some people that the MAC address represents the unique ID of your laptop or desktop computer. In general, MAC address of a hardware cannot be modified or changed in any way. It's basically like stealing cars – even those could get new fake serial numbers if the thief is clever.Each network adapter will have its own unique hardware ID known as MAC address. The same goes for the serial number that's somewhere on a sticker (or even engraved) on your the machine. However, note that MAC addresses can be changed – so there's no guarantee a knowledgeable thief hasn't already changed it, at least if the hardware allows that. The serial number could also be on a warranty card, a sticker, et cetera. It should definitely be available somewhere in the material that came with the machine.

I'd also suggest to look for the serial number of the laptop. In that case, you could check your modem configuration for the MAC address, or even your ISP registration forms. In some cases, if your computer directly connected to a modem, its MAC address was used to identify it to your Internet Service Provider. However, it's possible the access point already 'forgot' your laptop, and it won't show it anymore. This is because your laptop's MAC address is used as a unique identifier to tell the access point which IP address to assign. If you've ever connected to a WiFi access point, you might be able to find your MAC address in its logs (or DHCP lease table) accessible through the access point's configuration website. Apart from that, it'll be hard to find it elsewhere, although there are some possibilities. If you can find it somewhere in your documentation that came with the laptop, then you're lucky. It's not a unique identifier for various reasons (also explained in other answers here), but if you're lucky, you can trace back the laptop if it's ever found again. It belongs to your network adapter and is used by the MAC sublayer to identify your computer on a network.

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