How to Get Your MAC Address in Linux Using Command Line Utilities

In computing, every device has its unique identifier known as Media Access Control (MAC) address. This article will guide you on how to get your MAC address using command line utilities in a Unix or Linux environment.

To begin with, let's quickly review the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) 7 Layer Model, which is essential for understanding network communication. The OSI model consists of seven layers: Physical layer, Data link layer, Network layer, Transport layer, Session layer, Presentation layer, and Application layer.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the OSI model, let's dive into getting your MAC address in Linux using command line utilities. Here are three ways to do it:

1. Using ifconfig Command

Open a terminal on your Unix or Linux system and type 'ifconfig' followed by pressing Enter. This will display various network settings for each interface available on the device.

Look for an entry that starts with `eth` (or any other name of your network interface, such as `wlan`) followed by colon (`:`). Below this line, you should see a section labeled 'HWaddr' or 'ether'. The value in front of it is your MAC address. It will be displayed in the format XX:XX:XX:XX:XX.

2. Using ip Command

An alternative way to get your MAC address using command-line utility `ip` is by typing:

```bash

ip link show | grep -o 'link/ether '0-9a-f'\{12\}'

```

This will display the list of network interfaces and their corresponding MAC addresses.

3. Using hwinfo Command

Another option to get your MAC address using command-line utility `hwinfo` is by typing:

```bash

hwinfo --netcard | grep 'Ethernet'

```

The output should include a section labeled 'MAC Address' or 'HWaddress', which will display the actual value of your MAC address.

In this article, we have discussed three ways to get your MAC address in Linux using command-line utilities. With these methods, you can easily retrieve and verify your device's unique identifier for various network-related purposes.

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