The manufacturer hardcodes it into the deviceĪssigned to the device via software configurations Identifies network-connected devices locallyĭetermines how an Internet-connected device communicates globally This chart illustrates the differences between MAC addresses and IP addresses: The MAC address is only relevant to the Local Area Network (LAN) to which it's connected and isn't part of the data stream when the packets leave the device's network. The MAC address identifies the device locally, while the IP address identifies it globally. Both of these addresses identify a network device but do it differently. We need two addresses, the IP address and the MAC address, to facilitate communication between two networked devices. How a MAC Address differs from an IP Address The vendor provides the number at the time of the device's manufacturer, and it's embedded in its NIC (hence the 'burned in' description), which typically cannot be changed. The MAC is assigned to the Network Interface Card (NIC) of any device that can connect to the Internet. The MAC address is used by the Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer. In IEEE 802 standard, the data link layer is split into two sublayers: The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), a layer 2 communication protocol, maps the MAC addresses to the IP (Internet Protocol) address. The MAC address works on the OSI model's data link layer. MAC is short for Media Access Control and is also referred to as a hardware address, physical address, or burned-in address (BIA). The MAC address is a device's physical address, which uniquely identifies it on a specific network. We have a lot to cover, so let’s start with the fundamental question. We will answer pressing questions such as “What is a MAC address?”, “What is my MAC address?” and “What is it used for?” We will delve into the differences between an IP and a MAC address, the format, characteristics, and types of MAC addresses, how to find your device’s MAC address, and why all your devices must have their own unique MAC address.

This article tackles the subject of MAC addresses. So, each device connected to a network needs a distinctive means of identification not only through different networks but also as a way of identifying each device that is physically part of the same network. The problem with networks, however, is that there are so many devices. Even the Internet itself is just a mega-network made up of many interconnected networks! And the key elements of every network are the devices connected to it, be they a computer, mobile device, or a peripheral such as a printer. Networks play a significant role in the world of computing and data processing.

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