# MAC address of a machine

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 21, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769 "2008-02-21T12:11:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shiva)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769/1 "2008-02-21T12:11:52Z")

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Hi  
Any one knows how to get MAC address of a machine who is accessing  
your application.Help me.

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**Author:** ![shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shiva)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769/2 "2008-02-21T12:38:16Z")

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a method like the one below will find the ethernet mac address of my  
Mac on OS-X 10.4

def mac\_address  
system “ifconfig | grep lladdr \> mac.txt”  
f = File.new(“mac.txt”)  
mac = “”  
f.each{|l| mac = l.split(" ").last}  
return mac  
end

It’s really quite hacky, but you’re going to need to make a system  
call to do that. At least I cannot think of any classes available for  
it. On windows maybe the Win32ole or Win32API classes but nothing on  
and BSD platforms.

cammo

On Feb 21, 10:11 pm, Shiva K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)

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**Author:** ![shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shiva)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769/3 "2008-02-21T13:10:19Z")

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On 21 Feb 2008, at 11:37, cammo wrote:

> end

output = `ifconfig | grep lladd` at least avoids the temporary file  
unpleasantness (or use IO.popen)

Fred

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**Author:** ![shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@shiva](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shiva)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/mac-address-of-a-machine/129769/4 "2008-02-21T13:10:56Z")

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nearly impossible

On 21 ÆÅ×, 13:11, Shiva K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)