The MAC Address’s first six digits 4B-67-91 identify the manufacturer, known as OUI (Organizational Unique Identifier). Let’s now examine a thorough description of what a MAC address looks like.Ī MAC address of 4B679155f6e3, for instance, can be shown as 4B-67-91-55-f6-e3 or 4B:67:91:55:f6:e3, i.e., in groups of two hexadecimal digits, separated by hyphens, colons, or without a separator. MAC address can also be referred to as the following: MAC addresses are also used by Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connections.Ī MAC address comes with a unique component in your device known as a Network Interface Controller (NIC) which enables wireless internet connectivity. To ensure data is transmitted to your computer and not your friend’s smartphone, your local network uses a MAC address to distinguish between different devices. If it does occur, both devices will have communication issues because the local network cannot determine which device should receive the message. No two devices should share the same MAC address on a local network. It identifies the hardware manufacturer and is used for network communication between devices in a network segment.Įvery device has a distinct MAC address.

Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.Ī Media Access Control (MAC) address is a unique identifier for every network-connected device, more like a separate postal address is assigned to each home. What is the difference between MAC addresses and IP addresses, among others?.We provide comprehensive answers to frequently asked questions like This article covers the topic of MAC addresses.

Both of these addresses get information delivered to your doorstep (i.e., your device). There are IP addresses in place of residential addresses and MAC addresses serve as names. In many ways, the internet is similar to your normal mail service. And that’s why we have MAC addresses.Įverything online has a MAC address. As a result, each connected device requires a unique method of identification to distinguish it from other networks. However, the issue with networks is that a large number of devices are connected to them. The fundamental components of any network are the gadgets linked to it, whether they are computers, smartphones, or peripherals such as printers. Even the internet is essentially a massive network made up of several smaller networks working together. There is no doubt that networks are an integral part of computers and data processing.

Identify mac address