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How to Filter MAC Addresses to Secure Your Wireless Network

Stop unknown devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi network

By Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP Writer Community College of the Air Force Tony Bradley is a former Lifewire writer and tech journalist who specializes in network and internet security. He is a respected information security expert and prolific author. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 12, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Home Networking The Wireless Connection Routers & Firewalls Network Hubs ISP Broadband Ethernet Installing & Upgrading Wi-Fi & Wireless

What to Know

Get address: Open Command Prompt, enter ipconfig /all (Windows). Go to System Preferences > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced (Mac).Access your router's settings and configuration menu. Refer to the owner's manual if you don't know how to do it.To find the support pages for your specific router online, search for the make and model, such as "NETGEAR R9000 MAC filtering." Most wireless network routers and access points let you filter devices based on their MAC address, which is a device's physical address on the network. If you enable MAC address filtering in Windows or macOS, only the devices with MAC addresses configured in the wireless router or access point are allowed to connect.
There are other types of filtering that can be done on a router that are different from MAC filtering. For example, content filtering is when you prevent certain keywords or website URLs from passing through the network.

How to Find Your MAC Address in Windows

This technique works in all versions of Windows: Open the Run dialog box by using the Win+R keyboard shortcut. Type cmd in the small window that appears to open Command Prompt. Type ipconfig /all in the Command Prompt window. Press Enter to submit the command. You should see a bunch of text show up within that window. Find the line labeled Physical Address or physical access address. That is the MAC address for that adapter. If you have more than one network adapter, you will need to look through the results to make sure you get the MAC address from the correct adapter. There will be a different one for your wired network adapter and your wireless one.

How to Locate the MAC Address on a Mac

The process for finding the MAC address for filtering on a Mac desktop or laptop computer is slightly different. Here's how it works. Select System Preferences under the Apple menu. Click Network. Select Wi-Fi in the left pane. Click the Advanced button. Your MAC address appears next to Wi-Fi Address.

How to Filter MAC Addresses in Your Router

The MAC address is a unique identifier for networking hardware, such as wireless network adapters. While it's possible to spoof the MAC address so an attacker can pretend to be an authorized user, no casual hacker or curious snooper will go to such lengths, so MAC filtering protects you from the majority of users. Refer to your owner's manual for the wireless network router or access point you are using to learn how to access the configuration and administration screens and enable and configure MAC address filtering to protect your wireless network. For example, if you have a TP-Link router, you can follow the instructions on their website to configure wireless MAC address filtering. Some NETGEAR routers hold the setting in the ADVANCED > Security > Access Control screen. MAC filtering on a Comtrend AR-5381u router is done through the Wireless > MAC Filter menu like you see here. To find the support pages for your specific router, just do an online search for the make and model, something like "NETGEAR R9000 MAC filtering." Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Find the IP Address on a Mac How to Encrypt Your Wireless Network How to Use an IP Address to Find a MAC Address How to Fix a "Failed to Obtain IP Address" Android Error Can't Connect to the Internet? Try These 10 Tips How to Find the MAC Address on an iPad 10 Ways to Fix a Wireless Adapter or Access Point Error Message How to Connect Chromecast to Hotel Wi-Fi When and How to Turn Off Wi-Fi on Your Devices How to Find Your IP and MAC Addresses in Windows What to Do When Windows 11 Can't Connect to a Network 4 Ways to Find Your Roku IP Address (With or Without the Remote) How to Connect a Router to the Internet How to Kick People off Your Wi-Fi NETGEAR WNR1000 Default Password How to Find the MAC Address of Your Laptop Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies