MAC Address Lookup
Paste one or more MAC addresses to see which company made the network adapter, whether the address is unicast or multicast, and whether it is a randomized private address. Lookups run entirely in your browser against a bundled vendor list.
Last updated:
| # | MAC address | Vendor | Type |
|---|
How to use the MAC Address Lookup
- Paste MAC addresses into the box, one per line, in any common format. You can also paste the output of
arp -aorip neigh. - Click Look up vendors; results also update as you type.
- Read the table: vendor, and whether each address is unicast, multicast, global or locally administered.
- Click Details on a row to see every format, the OUI, the IPv6 link-local address and the bits of the first byte.
- Copy or download CSV to keep the results.
Anatomy of a MAC address
A MAC (media access control) address, also called an EUI-48, is 48 bits written as 12 hexadecimal digits. The first half identifies who issued it, the second half identifies the interface. Two bits in the first byte change how the whole address is interpreted.
| Part | Example (00:50:56:C0:00:08) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| OUI (bytes 1–3) | 00:50:56 | Organizationally Unique Identifier assigned by the IEEE (here VMware) |
| NIC specific (bytes 4–6) | C0:00:08 | Serial part chosen by the manufacturer |
| Bit 0 of byte 1 (I/G) | 0 | 0 = individual (unicast), 1 = group (multicast/broadcast) |
| Bit 1 of byte 1 (U/L) | 0 | 0 = universally administered (IEEE), 1 = locally administered |
Quick check: look at the second hex digit. If it is 2, 6, A or E the address is locally administered unicast (often a random private address). If it is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, B, D, F) it is a multicast address.
Well-known special addresses
| Address or prefix | Used for |
|---|---|
FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF | Ethernet broadcast (ARP requests, DHCP discover) |
01:00:5E:00:00:00 to 01:00:5E:7F:FF:FF | IPv4 multicast (e.g. 01:00:5E:00:00:FB for mDNS 224.0.0.251) |
33:33:xx:xx:xx:xx | IPv6 multicast (e.g. 33:33:00:00:00:01 for all nodes) |
01:80:C2:00:00:00 / …:0E | Spanning Tree (STP) / LLDP |
00:00:5E:00:01:xx | VRRP virtual router, xx = router ID |
00:00:0C:07:AC:xx | Cisco HSRP v1 virtual MAC, xx = group |
52:54:00, 02:42 | QEMU/KVM virtual machines, Docker containers (defaults) |
00:50:56, 00:0C:29, 00:15:5D, 08:00:27 | VMware, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, Oracle VirtualBox virtual NICs |
How to find a device's MAC address
- Windows: run
ipconfig /all(Physical Address) orgetmac;arp -alists other devices on your network. - macOS: System Settings › Wi-Fi › Details, or
ifconfig en0 | grep ether;arp -afor neighbors. - Linux:
ip linkfor your interfaces andip neighfor neighbors. - Router: the DHCP client or "attached devices" page lists every connected device with its MAC. Paste that list here to see which brands are on your network.
Frequently asked questions
How does a MAC address lookup find the manufacturer?
The first three bytes (24 bits) of a globally unique MAC address are the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), which the IEEE Registration Authority assigns to a manufacturer. For 00:50:56:C0:00:08 the OUI is 00:50:56, registered to VMware. The remaining three bytes are chosen by the manufacturer for each network interface.
Why does my phone's MAC address show no vendor?
Modern iPhones, Android phones and Windows PCs use a randomized "private" MAC address on Wi-Fi to prevent tracking. These addresses have the locally administered bit set (the second hexadecimal digit is 2, 6, A or E), are not registered with the IEEE, and cannot be traced to a manufacturer. Turn off private address for that network to see the real hardware address.
What do the multicast and locally administered bits mean?
In the first byte, the least significant bit (I/G) is 1 for group (multicast or broadcast) addresses and 0 for a single device. The next bit (U/L) is 1 when the address was set by software or an administrator and 0 when it is the universally unique address assigned through the IEEE. For example, first byte 0x02 is a locally administered unicast address.
Is this lookup the complete IEEE OUI database?
No. To work offline and instantly, the page bundles more than 640 OUI prefixes of common computer, phone, networking, virtualization and IoT vendors. The full IEEE registry has tens of thousands of assignments, including MA-M and MA-S blocks shared by many small companies. If a valid address shows "Not in the bundled list", search the official IEEE registry at regauth.standards.ieee.org.
Can a MAC address identify a person or a device's location?
No. A MAC address is only visible on the local network segment; routers do not pass it across the internet. It can tell you which company made the network chip, but not who owns the device or where it is. Vendor can also be misleading, because addresses can be changed in software.
What formats can I paste?
Colon (00:1a:2b:3c:4d:5e), hyphen as Windows shows it (00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E), Cisco dotted (001a.2b3c.4d5e), 12 plain hex digits, macOS arp style without leading zeros (0:1a:2b:3:4d:5e) and 6-digit OUI prefixes. Upper or lower case both work, and extra text on a line is ignored.
What is the EUI-64 IPv6 address shown in the details?
IPv6 stateless autoconfiguration can build an interface ID from a MAC address: it inserts FF:FE in the middle and flips the U/L bit of the first byte (RFC 4291). For 00:50:56:C0:00:08 the link-local address is fe80::250:56ff:fec0:8. Many systems now use random interface IDs instead, for privacy.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.