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The NIC manufacturer provides each card with a unique MAC address. But while IP addresses change constantly, MAC addresses are static because they are only used in the local network.Įvery connected device has a network interface card (NIC) that allows it to connect to a network. As IP addresses identify a network connection, MAC addresses identify hardware. We need these addresses to be able to connect to the internet to send or receive data. The MAC address is assigned to a network interface card that every connected device has.
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MAC addresses consist of 12 characters grouped into six pairs, for example 0A:1B:2C:3A:44:5C.
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MAC (short for “media access control”) address is a series of numbers and letters that identify a network device.
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