MAC address generator
Generate a random, valid MAC address locally in your browser, with the locally-administered bit set so it won't clash with real hardware. Pick your format.
Locally-administered & unicast: safe to use without clashing with real hardware.
How to use the mac address generator
- Choose a separator format (colon or hyphen).
- Press Generate.
- Copy the locally-administered, unicast MAC address.
About this MAC address
A MAC address is the 48-bit hardware identifier for a network interface. The addresses here have the locally-administered bit set and the unicast bit cleared, so they're valid custom addresses that won't collide with a manufacturer's range. Randomizing your MAC is a privacy measure: phones do it per Wi-Fi network to stop venues tracking your device. Your MAC never leaves your local network, so a website can't see it and a VPN doesn't need to hide it. It's generated in your browser and never sent anywhere.
Code & API examples
Use this from the command line or your code.
Random MAC (Linux)
printf '02:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x\n' $((RANDOM%256)) $((RANDOM%256)) $((RANDOM%256)) $((RANDOM%256)) $((RANDOM%256))See all endpoints at /api/tools/.
Frequently asked questions
A MAC address is a 48-bit hardware identifier assigned to a network interface, written as six pairs of hex digits like 02:1a:3c:4d:5e:6f. It identifies your device on the local network so frames reach the right adapter.
MAC randomization replaces your device's real hardware address with a random one, often a different one per Wi-Fi network. It stops venues, retailers, and trackers from following your device across locations by its fixed MAC, which is a real privacy win.
Every address this tool makes has the locally-administered bit set, meaning it is software-assigned rather than burned in by a manufacturer. That marks it as a custom address and avoids colliding with the universally-administered space vendors own.
The lowest bit of the first byte marks unicast versus multicast. This tool always clears it so the address is unicast, identifying a single interface. A multicast address targets a group and must never be used as a device's own address.
They are the same address, just different notation. Colons (02:1a:3c) are common on Linux and macOS, hyphens (02-1A-3C) on Windows, and some vendors use dotted groups. Pick whichever format your tool or OS expects.
Generally yes. Operating systems support it and it does not harm hardware. The one rule is to keep it unicast and locally-administered, which this tool guarantees, so you do not clash with a real vendor address or break network rules.
No. The MAC is a local hardware identifier and the IP is a network address assigned separately. Changing your MAC may prompt the router to hand out a different IP via DHCP, but the two are not the same thing.
It does not need to. Your MAC address never leaves your local network segment, so websites and remote servers never see it in the first place. A VPN hides your IP and traffic, which is what is actually exposed beyond your router.
On Windows, set the Network Address property on the adapter or use a tool. On macOS, run sudo ifconfig en0 ether followed by the address. On Linux, use ip link set dev eth0 address, or let NetworkManager randomize per network.
Rarely. It can drop you from networks that whitelist specific MACs or break captive-portal sessions tied to your old address, requiring a re-login. As long as it is unicast and locally-administered, normal networks treat it like any other device.
A generated address lets you test configurations, replace a failed NIC's expected address, or rotate your identifier for privacy without exposing the hardware MAC your manufacturer assigned. It is a controlled, valid stand-in.
Yes. The address is produced in your browser from its random source and never sent anywhere. vpn.golf keeps no logs, and since nothing leaves your device there is nothing to record or link to you.
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