Windows 10 allows modifying the original MAC address of any network card. Follow these steps to change MAC address in Windows 10.
Every network device connected to your system has its own unique MAC address. You can think of the MAC address as a unique identifier.
When a network device tries to connect to a network, it automatically shows its MAC address. The network can then use this MAC address to properly identify and set any custom settings. For example, you can configure your router to identify the MAC address to assign a permanent local IP address. That way, your system will always have the same IP address. i.e, a Static IP address. In fact, some network admins even use the MAC address to set custom network configs or restrictions.
Though the MAC address is generally hardcoded into the device hardware itself, you can modify it using software tricks. When you do that, the network device will publish the modified MAC address rather than the original hard-coded MAC address. Changing MAC address is very helpful in a lot of situations. For instance, If your ISP blocks unidentified MAC addresses from connecting to the network, you simply change the MAC address in Windows to bypass that restriction.
No matter the reason, if you ever want to change the MAC address in Windows 10, follow the steps given below.
Important note: The steps below are only applicable to the Windows operating system. If you are looking to change the MAC address of your router then you have to consult your router manual.
Change MAC address in Windows 10
You can change the MAC address from the Device Manager’s network card properties. Here’s how you can do it.
- Open the Start menu.
- Search and open the “Device Manager.”
- Expand the “Network adapters” section.
- Right-click on a network adapter.
- Select the “Properties” option.
- Go to the “Advanced” tab.
- Select the “Network address” under the Property section.
- Select the “Value” option.
- Type the new MAC address without any special characters.
- Click the “Ok” button.
- Close the device manager.
- Restart Windows 10.
First, open the Device Manager. On Windows 10 you can do that by searching for it in the Start menu. After opening the Device Manager, expand the Network Adapters tree, right-click on the network adapter for which you want to change the MAC address, and select the “Properties” option.
Note: Depending on your computer, its various software, and its configuration, you might see multiple network adapters. Just open the properties of the network adapter you are currently using.
Go to the “Advanced” tab in the network adapters properties window. Next, select the “Network address” option under the “Property” section. On the right panel, select the “Value” option, type a new MAC address without any special characters and click on the “Ok” button.
Example of a dummy MAC address: 76539997830C
You can use this website to generate a dummy MAC address: https://miniwebtool.com/mac-address-generator/
If you cannot find the “Network address” option in the Advanced tab then your Network Adapter doesn’t support changing the MAC address.
Finally, close the Device Manager and restart Windows 10.
That is all. From now on, the target network adapter will use the new MAC address.
I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
