Overview/Introduction
A MAC (Media Access Control) address, sometimes referred to as a hardware or physical address, is a unique, 12-character alphanumeric attribute that is used to identify individual electronic devices on a network. An example of a MAC address is: 00-N0-P8-54-XX-XX or 5e:bf:25:63:XX:XX.
Note: A MAC address is not to be confused with a Mac computer (Macintosh) or its operating system MacOS created by Apple, Inc. MAC addresses are found on many different kinds of electronic devices, regardless of manufacturer.
Details
In order to register a device on the Ursinus Public Network, you must first find the device's unique MAC address. The specific steps vary by device and operating system, but some common instructions are located below. You can also try doing a Google search for your device such as: “How do I find the MAC address for (enter device name here)”.
An example of a suitable MAC address that can be entered into the registration portal is: 5e-bf-25-63-xx-xx or 5e:bf:25:63:xx:xx. (Please include the punctuation when doing this, either dashes (-) or colons (:).
Note: Many devices have multiple MAC addresses, so consider your device and whether you'll be connecting via an ethernet cable (wired) or over a Wi-Fi network (wireless) before selecting the appropriate MAC address.
Common Steps for finding MAC Addresses
Computers:
Windows
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Mac
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Linux
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Chrome OS
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- Click Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
- Click the network you would like to view the MAC address for.
- Click Details.
- The MAC address is listed under the Physical Address heading.
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- Select Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click Network.
- Click the network you would like to view the MAC address for.
- Click Advanced.
- Click Hardware.
- The MAC address is listed below.
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- Open a terminal or console window.
- Type ifconfig.
- The MAC address is listed as HWaddr in the format of 12:34:56:78:AB.
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- Sign in to your Chromebook.
- Click the time (bottom right).
- Click Network (left).
- Click the network you would like to view the MAC address for.
- The MAC address is listed below.
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Smart Phones:
iOS (iPhone)
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Android
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Device MAC:
- Tap Settings > General > About.
- Scroll down to Wi-Fi Address.
Wireless Connection MAC:
- Tap Settings > Wi-Fi > then tap the i next to your wireless network.
- Scroll down to Wi-Fi Address.
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Device MAC:
- From Home, tap Menu > Settings > About Phone/Device.
- Tap either Status or Hardware Information.
- Scroll down to WiFi MAC address.
Wireless Connection MAC:
- From Home, tap Menu > Settings > Connections.
- Tap the Wi-Fi connection name.
- Tap the gear for the current network.
- Tap View More.
- Scroll down to MAC Address.
Note: Field names may vary depending on your phone's manufacturer.
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Having Trouble?
If you are having wireless issues please try the Wireless Troubleshooting knowledge base article to walk you through common issues for self troubleshooting solutions connecting to the wireless network.
If you are still having issues after attempting to self remediate then click the link to contact Tech Support for help with your problem.