In most network deployments, generated MAC addresses are appropriate. However, you might need to set a static MAC address for a virtual network adapter. The following examples show when you might set a static MAC address.
If other people want to locate your Mac on the network, they need to know your computer’s name or network address. Your Mac has several identifiers that people may look for on the network: computer name, local hostname (or local network name), and network address.
Find your computer’s name
If you’re sharing your computer’s screen or files, other users on your network can find your Mac by looking for its computer name.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
The computer name for your Mac appears at the top of Sharing preferences.
Find your computer’s local hostname
Your computer’s local hostname, or local network name, is displayed on your local network so others on the network can connect to your Mac. It also identifies your Mac to Bonjour-compatible services.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
Your computer’s local hostname is displayed beneath the computer’s name at the top of Sharing preferences.
The local network name is your computer’s name with .local added, and any spaces are replaced with hyphens -. For example, if your computer’s name is My Computer, your local network name is My-Computer.local. Local network names are not case sensitive, so my-computer.local is the same as My-Computer.local.
Find your computer’s network address
Ethernet Ip Address
If you’re sharing your computer’s screen, allowing remote logins or management, or sharing files, other users may need to know your computer’s network address instead of its name to access these services.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
In the list on the left, select a service that is On.
The network address for the service is displayed on the right. For example:
If you select Screen Sharing, the network address looks similar to vnc://10.212.167.33 or vnc://name.example.com.
if you select File Sharing, the network address looks similar to smb://10.212.167.33 or smb://name.example.com.
If you select Remote Login, the network address looks similar to username@10.212.167.33 or username@name.example.com.
If you select Remote Management, the network address looks similar to 10.212.167.33 or name.example.com.
Ethernet Mac Address Lookup
Your computer’s network address is provided by the Domain Name System (DNS) server your computer uses. If you don’t use a DNS service, the network address is derived from your computer name.