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- Also called Universally Administered Address (UAA). This ensures global uniqueness among MAC addresses, preventing conflicts within a network.
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Aug 17, 2023 · It is a hardware address that is permanently embedded on the NIC by its manufacturer. Each device that connects to a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) is assigned a MAC address. This address allows devices to communicate and transfer data within a network.
A MAC address (short for medium access control address or media access control address) is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment.
- What Is a MAC Address?
- How Does a MAC Address Work?
- How Are MAC Addresses Used?
- How Do I Find My MAC Address?
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Multiple hardware and software elements work together every day to connect us to the internet and get data to our devices. Hardware devices like routers and cables transmit the data we need, while software like border gateway protocol (BGP) and internet protocol (IP) addresses direct those data packets to and from those devices. Without both working together, we couldn't get online.
One of those critical elements is the media access control (MAC) address. MAC addresses are associated with specific devices and assigned to them by the manufacturer.
Other names used for MAC addresses include:
•Networking hardware address
•Burned-in address (BIA)
•Physical address
When data packets from the internet hit your router, that router needs to be able to send them to the right device on its network. It does this using MAC addresses, assigning a private IP address to each network-connected device based on that device's MAC address. This is different from the IP address your internet service provider (ISP) assigns you---that's your public IP address.
Your router tracks outbound data requests so that when the data comes back, it can attach the correct private IP to the data packets, then send them along to whichever device's MAC address matches that private IP.
Devices can have more than one MAC address because they get one for every place they can connect to the internet. If your laptop has an ethernet port and Wi-Fi, for example, it would have different MAC addresses for the Wi-Fi connection and the Ethernet connection. Bluetooth also uses its own MAC address.
Related: Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: How Much Better Is a Wired Connection?
In addition to sending your data to the right place, your wireless router also uses MAC addresses to secure your connection by only accepting traffic from devices with MAC addresses that it recognizes. This is called MAC filtering.
Related: Internet Connection Not Working? 10 Troubleshooting Tips
If you need to find the MAC address for your device, you can usually do it by going into the settings menu. You can follow our guide to finding the MAC addresses on your Windows device, whether by the Settings app or by the command prompt.
It's also easy to find the MAC address on a Mac computer. In System Preferences, click the Network icon, select the interface you want to use, then click Advanced. You'll see the MAC address listed under the Hardware tab.
Many more devices, including smart TVs, game consoles, and smartphones have their own MAC addresses that you can find.
If you want to, it's also possible to change or "spoof" your MAC address.
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5 days ago · Finding your WiFi MAC address is a relatively simple process: For Windows: Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Right-click on your WiFi adapter and select ...
A MAC address (media access control address) is a 12-digit hexadecimal number assigned to each device connected to the network. Primarily specified as a unique identifier during device manufacturing, the MAC address is often found on a device's network interface card (NIC).
Sep 14, 2024 · There are three types of MAC address; unicast, multicast, and broadcast. Unicast MAC address. Unicast MAC address represents a specific NIC or onboard NIC ports in the network. The inbuilt MAC address of a NIC is the unicast MAC address of that NIC. Multicast MAC address. Multicast MAC address represents a group of devices (or NICs in Layer 2).
Aug 13, 2024 · Unicast MAC Address: They target a specific device, directing data to one place. Multicast MAC Address: These send data to many devices at once, useful for group messages. Broadcast MAC Address: They reach every device in a network area, ensuring all are informed.
