MAC ADDRESS FILTERING
Think of a MAC (media access control) address as a
universally unique name for any network device. The
address is tied to the device hardware. Some routers
DOORZ\RXWRVHWDOLVWRIVSHFL¿F0$&DGGUHVVHVWKDWFDQ
(or can’t) access your network. It’s like blacklisting or
whitelisting which devices can access your LAN.
7RGRWKLV¿QGWKH0$&¿OWHUXQGHUWKHDGYDQFHG
settings tab. Dual- or tri-band routers will typically have
\RXVHOHFWZKLFKEDQGWKH¿OWHUZLOODSSO\WRDQGVRPH
routers will have you select whether the entered MAC
address will be the only one accepted onto the network
or the only address rejected from it. Once you’ve set
your preferences for those options, the last step is to
¿QGWKH0$&DGGUHVVHVRQWKHGHYLFHV\RX¶GOLNHWR
¿OWHUDQGW\SHWKHPLQ
For mobile devices such as phones or tablets, the MAC
address can be found by accessing your device’s settings
and navigating to the About Phone tab. From here,
some devices might have a tab titled Status, where the
MAC address can be found, while others have it readily
available in the About Phone section. On a Mac or PC,
navigate to your device’s network settings page and
open the network and sharing center. Click on your Wi-
Fi connection, and look for Details or Properties. This
area will display lots of information, including your
device’s “physical address,” another term for MAC
address. (On a Mac, it’s called “Wi-Fi Address.”)
Think of a MAC
(media access
control)
address as a
universally
unique name
for any network
device.