how to show the MAC address, IP, Host Name and Gateway on Windows with ipconfig

Do you want to know your MAC address (the physical address of your Ethernet LAN card) on your Windows machine?

Open a Command Prompt window and type:

ipconfig /all

You'll get many parameters; among them the most useful are:

• Host name --> Your machine name. You can use this name to connect to your machine from within other machines in your LAN;

• Physical address --> Your Ethernet card MAC-address;

• IP address --> The IP address for your machine. If you are connected in a company or university LAN, your IP should not change. And normally it doesn't change even if you connect your desktop or laptop via a router in a domestic LAN. If you use a Ethernet or USB modem (and not a Router) to connect your PC or notebook to your Internet provider (both Dial-Up via telephone or ADSL), your IP should change every time you connect to your provider server;

• Default Gateway --> The IP address of the machine it's physically connected to the Internet and is used like router/filter between the private LAN and the external Internet. In a big LAN the Gateway is usually a physical machine; in small or home LAN it's usually the router box.