MAC Address Lookup

Updated October 10, 2026 · Data: IEEE Registration Authority, downloaded 2026-10-10: 40,319 MA-L, 6,628 MA-M and 7,226 MA-S blocks

What a MAC lookup tells you

A MAC address is the hardware address of a network adapter: Wi-Fi, Ethernet or Bluetooth. Its first part identifies the company that registered the address block with the IEEE, the body that hands these blocks out. That is the part this tool looks up. The rest of the address is the adapter’s serial number within the block and says nothing about the owner.

The company is the maker of the network hardware, which is not always the brand on the box. Phones and laptops usually show their own brand (Apple, Samsung, Intel for many laptops’ Wi-Fi cards), but cheap smart devices — plugs, bulbs, cameras, TV boxes — often show the chip maker, such as Espressif, Realtek or MediaTek.

Private (random) MAC addresses

Modern phones and laptops do not use their real MAC address on Wi-Fi by default. They generate a private address for each network, so that shops, airports and hotels cannot recognise the same device across networks:

• iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch: “Private Wi-Fi Address” in the network settings.
• Android: “Use randomized MAC” in the network’s privacy settings.
• Windows: “Random hardware addresses” in the Wi-Fi settings.

Such addresses are marked by a single bit: the second character of the address is 2, 6, A or E (for example DA:A1:19:… or F6:3B:…). They belong to no manufacturer, so no lookup can name one. If an unknown device in your router has an address like this, it is almost certainly a phone, tablet or laptop that has joined your Wi-Fi.

Found an unknown device on your Wi-Fi?

1. Copy its MAC address from the router’s list of connected devices or DHCP clients. Our guide who is connected to my Wi-Fi shows where that list is.
2. Look it up here. A manufacturer name like Espressif or Amazon usually means a smart-home gadget; a private address means a phone or a laptop.
3. Match it with your devices. Every device shows its Wi-Fi MAC address in its network or “About” settings; on phones with private addresses, look at the address for your home network.
4. Still a stranger? Change the Wi-Fi password and, if your router allows it, block the address. Every device then has to reconnect with the new password.

How to find a device’s own MAC address

• Windows: run ipconfig /all and read “Physical Address” of your adapter.
• Mac: System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → Hardware → MAC address.
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → General → About → Wi-Fi Address (the device’s real address); for the address used on a specific network, see Settings → Wi-Fi → ⓘ.
• Android: Settings → About phone (on some phones, then Status information) → Wi-Fi MAC address.
• Linux: run ip link; the address follows “link/ether”.

MA-L, MA-M and MA-S

The IEEE sells address blocks of three sizes. A large block (MA-L) is identified by the first 24 bits — six characters — and covers about 16.7 million addresses. Medium (MA-M, 28 bits) and small (MA-S, 36 bits) blocks share one large prefix among many companies, so for them the first seven or nine characters decide the manufacturer. The tool checks the longest match first, so it works for all three.

MAC address lookup: frequently asked questions

Can I find a device’s location from its MAC address?

No. A MAC address only travels inside the local network and never reaches websites, so it cannot be used to locate a device on a map. The lookup only tells you who registered the address block.

Can I find the IP address of a device from its MAC address?

Only inside your own network: the router’s list of connected devices shows both, and on a computer the command arp -a lists IP and MAC addresses of devices it has talked to recently.

Why does the lookup show a company I have never heard of?

Many devices are built by contract manufacturers or use network chips from companies like Espressif, Realtek, MediaTek or Hon Hai (Foxconn). The registered company is the maker of the hardware, not the brand that sells it.

Why is no manufacturer found?

Most often the address is private (random), which the tool tells you about. Otherwise the block may have been registered after our last download of the IEEE registry, or there is a typo in the address.

Can a MAC address be changed?

Yes. Operating systems can use a different address in software, which is exactly what private Wi-Fi addresses do. So a MAC address identifies a device on your network, but it is not proof of identity.