https://www.reddit.com/r/PHPhelp/comments/5wrbc4/simple_array_search_not_working/

SearchForArray.php

<?php

$jsonInput = '
[{
        "_id": "58b5c92eb2f1c45f9b7d5bfd",
        "ap_mac": "80:2a:a8:80:d8:f3",
        "authorized_by": "api",
        "end": 1496084526,
        "mac": "00:26:08:db:ec:d4",
        "site_id": "58261efcaa83e82c6b230cff",
        "start": 1488308526
    },
    {
        "_id": "58b040e4b2f1c45f9b7d5bef",
        "ap_mac": "80:2a:a8:80:d8:f3",
        "authorized_by": "api",
        "bytes": 14379698,
        "channel": 1,
        "duration": 1795,
        "end": 1495721956,
        "ip": "10.1.212.16",
        "mac": "60:f8:1d:c8:8f:f0",
        "radio": "ng",
        "roam_count": 0,
        "rx_bytes": 4637842,
        "site_id": "58261efcaa83e82c6b230cff",
        "start": 1487945956,
        "tx_bytes": 9741856
    }]';


/**
 * @param $inputArray
 * @param $searchValue
 * @return null
 */
function retrieveArray($inputArray, $searchValue) {

    foreach ($inputArray as $item) {

        if (!array_key_exists('mac', $item)) {
            continue;
        }

        if ($item['mac'] == $searchValue) {
            return $item;
        }
    }

    return null;
}

// Parse JSON into associative array.
$input = json_decode($jsonInput, true);

$searchValue = '60:f8:1d:c8:8f:f0';

print_r(retrieveArray($input, $searchValue));


// Prints:
/*
Array
(
    [_id] => 58b040e4b2f1c45f9b7d5bef
    [ap_mac] => 80:2a:a8:80:d8:f3
    [authorized_by] => api
    [bytes] => 14379698
    [channel] => 1
    [duration] => 1795
    [end] => 1495721956
    [ip] => 10.1.212.16
    [mac] => 60:f8:1d:c8:8f:f0
    [radio] => ng
    [roam_count] => 0
    [rx_bytes] => 4637842
    [site_id] => 58261efcaa83e82c6b230cff
    [start] => 1487945956
    [tx_bytes] => 9741856
)
*/