How to Obtain a Host ID

Obtaining the host ID allows you to identify your computer on a network. The host ID is always unique so that transfer protocols like TCP/IP used on the Internet can find the location of your computer and transfer data packets. The host ID is stored on your network card as the physical address. Obtaining the host ID on a windows computer is accomplished through the "Command" prompt.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run." In the textbox, type "cmd" and press the "Enter" key. This opens a new command prompt window.

2. Type "ipconfig /all" into the command prompt window. This command is used to view all the network settings on your computer.

3. Scroll down to the "Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection" section. If you have multiple LAN cards installed on your computer, you will have multiple sections and multiple host ID numbers.

4. Find the output line labeled "Physical Address." This is an alphanumeric ID with the format xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx. The host ID is the alphanumeric number without the hyphens.

References

• mentor.com