![]() The MAC addresses for all devices on the network come from the network cards that manufacturers put in their devices.įor that reason, you can’t change the hardware address, MAC address or any other similar identifier on your device.Īt this point you may be wondering, if billions of devices are connected to the internet, how do they all have unique MAC addresses? How are manufacturers able to assign unique addresses to identify devices on networks? The answer that there are over 281 trillion possible MAC addresses because of their format as a 48-bit number and letter identifier. The key takeaway is an IP address identifies a connection to the network, while a MAC address identifies a physical device hooked on to the network.Any device that functions as a part of any given network has to have either an ethernet card for a wired network or a Wi-Fi card for a wireless connection. Related: How to Find and Change the IP Address on Your MacAlso, two or more devices can't share a MAC address, while multiple devices can share a single IP address. Another difference between a MAC address and an IP address is the latter is temporary while the former is permanent (You can change it, but do it with caution). MAC addresses operate in the data link layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, while IP addresses operate in the network layer. An IP address is either a 32-bit (IPv4) or a 128-bit (IPv6) logical address, while a MAC address is a 48-bit physical address. First, an internet service provider (ISP) provides an IP address, while a Network Interface Controller manufacturer assigns a MAC address. Now that you understand what IP addresses and MAC addresses are all about, let's dive into how they differ from each other. Differences Between a MAC Address and IP Address ![]()
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