How to Find an IP Address From a Given MAC Address

Internet protocol addresses and their capabilities

A Mac (Media Access Control) address indicates the physical description of a network adapter, and the IP (Internet Protocol) address represents a logical address of a device on Internet Protocol networks.



Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a built-in feature of IP, which helps you find the IP address from a given MAC address, and contrariwise. ARP has similar procedures in Windows and Linux operating systems for finding the IP address from a given Mac Address.

Instructions

ARP Procedure in Windows Operating System

1. Turn on your PC and wait until Windows is completely loaded. Push the button on the lower left corner of your keyboard, which has the Windows sign on it, and the "R" button at the same time. A new window will pop up.

2. Type "CMD" in the new window and click "OK." A new window with a black background will open.

3. Type "ARP -a" in the new window, and press the "Enter" button on your keyboard. A list with three columns will open. The first column is the list of IPs and the second column represents the MAC addresses assigned to each IP.

ARP Procedure in Linux (Ubuntu) Systems

1. Turn on your PC and be patient until Ubuntu loads completely. Click on the "Application" button at the top right corner of your monitor.

2. Put your mouse pointer on "Accessories" to open a new drop down list. Click on "Terminal" in the drop down list. A new window will open.

3. Type "ARP" and press the "Enter" button on your keyboard. A list with five columns will open, the first column is the list of IPs and the third column is the list of MAC addresses belonging to each IP.

Tips & Warnings

• To get more accurate results, there are some Internet manager software programs available for these particular tasks.

• Do not trust the ARP result if you are using a router for your connection, because ARP will go through the connection information on your router, not on your computer.

References

• Government Security
• Micfosoft TechNet

Resources

• Linux.ie: The Beginner's Linux Guide