NetworkingAlso called: "physical address", "hardware address"
Media Access Control (MAC) addresses are 48-bit values burned into network cards at manufacturing.
Format
- 6 pairs of hexadecimal digits: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E.
- First 3 bytes identify the manufacturer (OUI).
- Last 3 bytes are device-specific.
Uses
- Layer 2 (Ethernet) addressing on local networks.
- Device identification for access control (MAC filtering).
- Network troubleshooting and asset inventory.
- DHCP reservations for static IP assignment.
Security notes
- MAC addresses can be spoofed easily.
- Not suitable for authentication or security boundaries.
- Visible to anyone on the local network.
Explore More Networking
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The hierarchical naming system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses.
Read more →IP Address Geolocation
The process of determining the geographic location of an internet-connected device using its IP address.
Read more →Network Protocol
A set of rules defining how data is transmitted and received over a network.
Read more →OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier)
The first three bytes of a MAC address, assigned by IEEE to identify the manufacturer of a network device.
Read more →Port Numbers
Numerical identifiers (0-65535) used to route network traffic to specific services on a device.
Read more →Subnet Mask
A 32-bit number that divides an IP address into network and host portions for routing.
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