Should you upgrade your PC or buy a new one? - How to quickly find your computer's MAC Address
Enjoy today's selection of practical, easy-to-follow tech tips.
Rick's Daily Tips Tech Update for Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
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Today's Quick Tip....
How to quickly find your computer's MAC address
If you ever have to contact a Tech Support center to resolve any type of networking issue there's a good chance the tech will ask for your computer's MAC Address.
Although the term "MAC Address" makes it sound like it's some type of Apple thing, it really isn't.
MAC is simply an acronym that stands for "Media Access Control" and every computer on a network has a MAC Address, regardless of the machine's brand and model.
Simply put, the MAC Address is an alphanumeric number that identifies your specific computer on your local network.
For example, let's say you click a link on a web page. When the remote server responds to your request the information is routed first to your local modem/router via your Public IP address, and then on to your specific computer via its MAC Address.
An analogy might be a piece of postal mail that's delivered to your family's mailbox...
The street address on the envelope works somewhat like a Public IP address. It tells the postman which mailbox to place the letter in.
The addressee's name on the envelope works sort of like a MAC Address since it tells the person who went to the mailbox to collect the mail which specific person to hand that particular letter to.
Now that you know what MAC Addresses are (and that you might need to provide yours to a tech at some point), here's how to retrieve it from your computer...
How to retrieve the MAC Address from a Windows 10/11 PC:
1 - Click the Start button and then immediately type the letters CMD.
2 - Click Command Prompt.
3 - Type the following after the command prompt (i.e. after the "greater than" > sign):
ipconfig/all
4 - Press the Enter key.
5- Find the section for the network adapter that's currently being used to connect your PC to the Internet.
This will typically be either a WiFi adapter or an Ethernet adapter (you'll know which adapter your connection is using based upon whether you're connected via WiFi or a wired Ethernet connection).
6 - The 12 digit alphanumeric number in the "Physical Address" field is the MAC Address you're looking for.
How to retrieve the MAC Address from a MacBook or Mac desktop computer:
1 - Click the Apple icon on the top menu bar.
2 - Click System Preferences.
3 - Click Network.
4 - Click Advanced. You should now see the MAC Address displayed on the screen.
That's all there is to it. Now you know how to determine your computer's MAC address if you ever need to provide it to a support tech.
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The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips...
• Should you upgrade your current computer or buy a new one?
This post offers tips for deciding whether it's best to spend your money on computers upgrades or on a brand new computer.
• Q&A: Is it safe to ‘Undervolt’ a PC to make it run cooler?
A reader asks for advice about 'undervolting' the CPU and/or GPU in his over-heating laptop in order to make it run cooler.
• Click here to see today's 'Picture of the Day'.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
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Today's post from 'My Daily Smile'...
How to quickly calculate how much to leave for a tip – in your head
Do you usually have to pull out a calculator or do some 'figuring' on a napkin to calculate the amount of the tip you should leave? This post explains how to quickly do it in your head.
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Tech news that caught my eye...
• Hertz orders 100,000 Teslas to electrify rental fleet
• Mastercard will allow banks to provide cryptocurrency services
• Is Internet addiction a growing problem?
• MacBook Pro ports: All the things you can now plug into your new laptop
• LG is apparently working on its first Chromebook
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse