How to Find the Mac Address From the IP

Network switches identify hosts by network adapter MAC address rather than IP address

Computers that support multiple network connections are common now that most laptops support both wireless and wired networks and most server hardware platforms support dual NICs (Network Interface Cards) for fault tolerance. If you are troubleshooting network connectivity on a computer that supports more than one network connection and need to know the MAC (Media Access Control) address of a network interface that has a particular IP address assigned to it, check the Network Connections utility in Windows.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 computer

Instructions

1. Click the "Start" button on the Windows Taskbar and click the "Search" box. Type "ncpa.cpl" in the "Search" box and tap the "Enter" key. The "Network Connections" window will appear.

2. Right-click on one of the network connection icons that displays a "Connected" state and click "Status" in the menu that appears. Click the "Support" tab in the window that appears.

3. Note the IP address displayed in the "Connection Status" area. If the IP address matches the IP address for which the associated MAC address is required, proceed to the next step. If the IP address does not match, then click the "Close" button and repeat this step with another network connection that displays a "Connected" state until the matching IP address is displayed.

4. Click the "Details" button and the MAC address associated with the IP address is the first entry at the top of the "Network Connection Details" list.

References

• Microsoft Technet: View Network Connection Status in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft Technet: View Network Connection Status