MAC Address Lookup

Our MAC address/vendor lookup tool lets you check the vendor, block size, company address, and other information associated with a device’s MAC address. Simply enter a MAC address, OUI or vendor name, hit the lookup button, and get your results in an instant.

How Does Our MAC Lookup Tool Work

The MAC address lookup tool has two modes. You either:

  • Input the complete Mac Address or the OUI (organizational unique identifier) of the MAC address or, 
  • You input the vendor name. 

Depending on your input, you will get different results. 

Suppose you input the OUI number or a MAC address. In that case, the tool will return information about the NIC’s vendor, vendor address, whether the NIC is physical or virtual, and other such information. 

If you input the vendor name, the tool will return a list of all OUIs registered to that vendor.

Our tool uses the IEEE’s public database of OUI numbers to determine the device's manufacturer. The IEEE database also provides other details about the vendor, such as their address and the MAC address block size assigned to them. All this data is publicly available. Our MAC vendor lookup tool simply pulls and presents it in a convenient way.

How to Check MAC Address/Vendor Details With Our Tool

Our tool is quite easy and straightforward to use. Here are the simple steps you can follow to use it. 

  • Open the MAC Address Lookup tool. 
  • You can enter the full MAC address, the IAB, or the OUI number into the input field. The tool will also accept the input in multiple formats, such as: 40:A8:F0:4F:50:9E or 40-A8-F0-4F-50-9E.
  • Click on the “Search” button to start the lookup

After a few moments, the output of the performed lookup will be displayed, so you can check the vendor details. You can also download the results either in JSON or TXT file format so that you can peruse them at your leisure.

MAC Address Lookup Results-An Explanation

The results are quite detailed. You can obtain the following information. 

  • Mac address prefix. This refers to the first six digits of the MAC address. The prefix is also known as the OUI number, and it identifies the vendor/manufacturer of the NIC.
  • Vendor/manufacturer name. Self-explanatory. This part lists the vendor’s name to which the OUI number is assigned by the IEEE.
  • Address block size. Each vendor is provided a specific block of MAC addresses. The block refers to a range of MAC addresses, and it can have three different sizes: L, M, and S. L stands for large and has 16 million addresses. M stands for medium and has 1 million addresses. S stands for small and has 4096 addresses.
  • Address update history. Address update history shows the various changes that the particular MAC address vendor has gone through. It can show changes in vendor name and address as well as the dates on which the information changed.
  • Whether the address belongs to a virtual machine or a real machine. Not all MAC addresses belong to real physical machines. A virtual machine will generate a fake MAC address, and this part of the result will show whether the address is from a virtual machine or a real one.
  • Whether the address is valid and registered. Self-explanatory. As long as a MAC address has the correct format and is registered to a vendor, you will get results, and this section will say “Yes”. If the address is not registered, then the tool will return no result.

What Are The Benefits of Performing a MAC Lookup

Performing a MAC address device lookup provides several benefits, especially in an enterprise/corporate environment. Let’s check them out.

  • Device ID. A MAC address provides crucial information necessary to identify a device in a network. With a MAC address checker, network admins can check the device ID of all systems on their network and set up MAC address filtering.
  • Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues. MAC addresses are used to connect devices in an internal network. Due to issues with the NIC, connectivity problems can occur. By performing a MAC address check, you can find the company that created the NIC and look for new drivers and solutions on their site to fix the problem. This is useful in a corporate setting with hundreds of devices where doing this manually is costly and time-intensive.
  • Network Security. Different vendors make NICs in their ways. Knowing which vendor made your NIC, you can learn about known security vulnerabilities and patch them. This is only possible when you perform a MAC address check, which provides that information.
  • Asset Tracking. In large corporate networks, organizations often maintain a list of approved devices. An OUI lookup helps with asset tracking by associating MAC addresses with their manufacturers. This enables you to keep an inventory of devices on the network.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a MAC address?

A MAC address is a 12-digit hexadecimal number that belongs to a network interface card (NIC). It is used during local area networking to identify individual devices in the network.

The first six digits of the MAC address are called the OUI number, while the last six are called the serial number.

The OUI number tells us about the vendor/manufacturer who created the NIC, while the serial number identifies the individual device. 

What is an OUI number?

The OUI number refers to the first six digits of a MAC address. The OUI number is assigned by the IEEE to each vendor. So, you will find that devices from the same manufacturer have the same OUI numbers. 

Why do I Need To Do a MAC/Vendor lookup?

You may need to perform a lookup to find the manufacturer of your device, so you can do additional things like:

  • Troubleshoot connectivity issues
  • Find the manufacturer's website for device drivers

These are important tasks for IT professionals to ensure network connectivity.

Can the MAC Vendor lookup tool identify a device with its MAC address?

Yes and no. Our tool cannot identify the exact device model and type. However, the MAC address checker can help you find the vendor information, which can provide clues to the device type. For example, if the vendor is apple, you can guess that the device is an iPhone or a Macintosh.

So, yes, you can partially identify the device with its MAC address.

How to Find Your Own MAC Address?

Here's how you can locate the MAC address on various platforms:

Windows 10/11:

  • Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  • Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
  • In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
  • Locate the network adapter you're interested in. The MAC address is listed as the "Physical Address."

macOS:

  • Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen and select "System Preferences.”
  • Choose "Network.”
  • Select the active network interface (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and click "Advanced."
  • In the "Hardware" tab, the MAC address is displayed as "MAC Address."

Linux:

  • Open a terminal window.
  • Type ifconfig and press Enter.
  • Identify the network interface (e.g., eth0 for wired or wlan0 for wireless). The MAC address appears next to "ether." 

iOS (iPhone/iPad):

  • Open the "Settings" app.
  • Tap "General."
  • Tap "About."
  • Scroll down to find "Wi-Fi Address." This is your MAC address. 

Android:

  • Open the "Settings" app.
  • Tap "Connections" or "Network & Internet."
  • Tap "Wi-Fi."
  • Tap the gear icon next to your connected network or tap "Advanced."
  • Locate the "MAC Address" in the network details. citeturn0search2

These steps should help you find the MAC address on most devices. Remember, the MAC address is unique to each network interface, so if your device has multiple interfaces (e.g., Wi-Fi and Ethernet), each will have its own MAC address.