How to use
- 1Paste a MAC address in any format — aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff, aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff, aabb.ccdd.eeff or without separators.
- 2See the vendor, the OUI prefix and whether the address is unicast or multicast, universal or locally administered.
- 3For a single address, see it in other notations: IEEE/Windows hyphen, Linux colon, Cisco dot, plain hex and decimal.
- 4Paste up to 500 addresses, one per line, to look them all up at once, or generate a random MAC.
How a MAC vendor lookup works
The first part of a MAC address identifies the organisation that registered it with the IEEE. Most vendors hold a 24-bit OUI (MA-L block); smaller blocks of 28 bits (MA-M) and 36 bits (MA-S) also exist. The tool matches the prefix against public IEEE registry data and shows the registered company. The lookup happens in your browser — the address is not sent anywhere.
Randomised and locally administered MACs
The second-lowest bit of the first byte marks a locally administered address. If the second hex digit is 2, 6, A or E, the address was set by software, not burned in by the manufacturer — so it has no vendor. iOS and Android use such randomised “private” MAC addresses on Wi-Fi by default to prevent tracking, and Windows offers it as an option, which is why phones on your router often show no vendor.
Unicast and multicast
The lowest bit of the first byte distinguishes unicast (0, a single device) from multicast (1, a group of receivers). Real network cards always have unicast addresses; multicast addresses such as 01:00:5E:… are used by protocols. FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF is the broadcast address.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a MAC address show no vendor?
It is most likely randomised or locally administered (second hex digit 2, 6, A or E), or the prefix is not in the public IEEE registry.
Can I find a device’s location or owner from its MAC?
No. The MAC only reveals the registered manufacturer of the network interface, not who owns it or where it is.
Which formats are accepted?
Colon, hyphen, Cisco dot notation and plain hex, upper or lower case. The tool normalises them automatically.
What is an OUI?
An Organizationally Unique Identifier — the prefix the IEEE assigns to a manufacturer, usually the first 3 bytes of the MAC.
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