PowerShell: Get MAC Address

Network inventory, MAC-based filtering, or troubleshooting a NIC issue - this one-liner pulls the MAC address for every network adapter on the machine in one go.

Prerequisites:

• Privileges: None
• Module: Built-in, no import needed

Quick Command:

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_NetworkAdapter | Select-Object Name, MACAddress, NetEnabled

Example Output:

Name                      MACAddress        NetEnabled
----                      ----------        ----------
Wi-Fi                     00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E False
Ethernet                  00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5F True

How It Works:

• Get-CimInstance Win32_NetworkAdapter queries all network adapters recognized by the system through the classic WMI class, including their configuration and hardware details.
• Name identifies the adapter, so you can tell which interface each MAC address belongs to.
• MacAddress shows the physical hardware address burned into the adapter - this stays the same regardless of IP configuration or network changes.
• NetEnabled shows whether the adapter is active (True) or not (False), which helps you spot the interface actually in use versus ones sitting idle.
• Select-Object trims the output down to just these three properties, since Win32_NetworkAdapter also returns a lot more data (like Speed, AdapterType, or Manufacturer) that isn't needed for a quick MAC lookup.

Pro Tip:

On newer systems, there's a cleaner purpose-built alternative - readable status instead of true/false, and short friendly adapter names. Great for quick local lookups; stick with CIM for older systems or remoting.

Quick Command:

Get-NetAdapter | Select-Object Name, MacAddress, Status

Example Output:

Name     MacAddress        Status
----     ----------        ------
Wi-Fi    00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E Disconnected
Ethernet 00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5F Up