what is a mac address?

What is a MAC Address?

A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to each Network Interface Card (NIC), a piece of hardware used to identify and communicate with other devices on a computer network. A MAC address identifies a physical device on a network and is a combination of six pairs of hexadecimal numbers. In other words, it is an address used to identify a particular computer or device on a network connection.

Though typically referred to as a "MAC" address, this is actually an abbreviation of the terms Media Access Control, Ethernet Address, or Universal LAN Address depending on the context.

The first three octets in a MAC address identify the manufacturer of the NIC. This allows the address of a particular device to be easily traced to the company responsible for its production. The remaining octets are assigned by the manufacturer, and no two NICs ever have the same MAC address.

Mac addresses are also used as a means of authentication when a device attempts to access a network. By checking the MAC address of a device against an access list or Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table, a server can choose to allow or deny network access.

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