An Organisationally Unique Identifier: the first three bytes of a MAC address, assigned by the IEEE to the company making the hardware. The remaining three bytes are chosen by that manufacturer.

Why do phones randomise their address?

Because a stable MAC address lets any nearby receiver track a device between locations. Modern phones present a different randomised address to each network to break that link.

Yes. It comes from api.macvendors.com, refreshed through this site's pipeline. Nothing is invented or simulated, and if the source cannot be reached the saver reports that instead of drawing something plausible.

Does it cost anything or need an account?

No. Every screensaver here is free, runs in the browser and needs no sign-up. This one uses a public API that requires no key.

Who Built The Hardware Screensaver

The Who Built The Hardware screensaver shows well-known MAC address prefixes alongside the companies that registered them — the Organisationally Unique Identifiers every networked device broadcasts. It runs in the browser with nothing to install; press ESC to exit.

How the Who Built The Hardware screensaver works

The saver reads api.macvendors.com, refreshed through this site's pipeline.

No account and no key: the request goes straight from your browser, or from this site's own refreshed copy of the feed where the source does not permit browser access.

Values are drawn on a canvas that resizes with the window, so it works on a laptop or a wall display.

If the source is unreachable the saver says so on screen rather than showing stale numbers as though they were current.

A worked example

Each row pairs a three-byte prefix with the organisation that bought it from the IEEE. B8:27:EB is a Raspberry Pi. 00:50:56 is a VMware virtual machine. 52:54:00 is QEMU. Any device on any network announces its manufacturer to anyone listening, which is a small permanent privacy fact and the reason phones now randomise the address they broadcast.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display without changing the data.
Add it to a Multi-view grid to watch it alongside other live savers.
Press ESC at any time to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

What is an OUI?: An Organisationally Unique Identifier: the first three bytes of a MAC address, assigned by the IEEE to the company making the hardware. The remaining three bytes are chosen by that manufacturer.
Why do phones randomise their address?: Because a stable MAC address lets any nearby receiver track a device between locations. Modern phones present a different randomised address to each network to break that link.
Is this real data?: Yes. It comes from api.macvendors.com, refreshed through this site's pipeline. Nothing is invented or simulated, and if the source cannot be reached the saver reports that instead of drawing something plausible.
Does it cost anything or need an account?: No. Every screensaver here is free, runs in the browser and needs no sign-up. This one uses a public API that requires no key.

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