Changing the Media Access Control (MAC) address of a virtual machine (VM) in VMware can be necessary for various purposes, such as testing network configurations or bypassing MAC address filtering. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to change the MAC address in VMware.

1. Understanding MAC Address Basics

A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface card (NIC) for communications on the physical network segment. In VMware, each virtual NIC is assigned a MAC address automatically, but it can be changed manually if needed.

2. Power Off the Virtual Machine

Before making any changes, ensure the virtual machine is powered off. You can do this via the VMware interface:

• Right-click on the VM and select Power > Power Off.

Or use the utdown Guest option if the VM is running an OS that supports graceful utdowns.

3. Access VM Settings

To change the MAC address, access the virtual machine's settings:

1. Right-click the VM in the VMware interface.
2. Select Settings.

This will open the Virtual Machine Settings window.

4. Locate the Network Adapter

In the Virtual Machine Settings window, find the Network Adapter entry in the hardware list. This entry corresponds to the virtual NIC for which you want to change the MAC address.

5. Change the MAC Address

1. Select the Network Adapter.
2. Click on the Advanced button to open the advanced settings.

In the Advanced settings, you will see the MAC Address field.

6. Enter the New MAC Address

You can either let VMware generate a new MAC address or enter a custom MAC address:

• Automatic Generation: Check the box for Generate new MAC address.
• Manual Entry: Uncheck the box and enter the desired MAC address in the MAC Address field.

A valid MAC address consists of 12 hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F) and is usually formatted as XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX.

7. Save and Apply Changes

After entering the new MAC address, click OK to save the changes and close the Advanced settings window. Then, click OK again to close the Virtual Machine Settings window.

8. Power On the Virtual Machine

Power on the virtual machine to apply the changes:

• Right-click on the VM and select Power > Power On.

9. Verify the MAC Address

Once the VM is powered on, verify that the MAC address has been changed. You can do this from within the guest operating system using a command appropriate for the OS:

• Linux: Use the ip addr show or ifconfig command.
• Windows: Use the ipconfig /all command.

For example, on a Linux VM:

ip addr show

Or on a Windows VM:

ipconfig /all

Look for the network adapter's MAC address in the output to ensure it matches the one you specified.

Conclusion

Changing the MAC address of a virtual machine in VMware is a straightforward process that involves accessing the VM settings, modifying the network adapter’s settings, and entering a new MAC address. This can be useful for various network configuration tasks and testing scenarios. Always ensure that the new MAC address is unique within your network to avoid conflicts.