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A MAC address is a unique, 48-bit hardware identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) at the time of manufacturing, used for device identification on a local network. It's a physical address that ensures data frames are sent to the correct destination within a local area network (LAN), unlike the logical, temporary IP address. MAC addresses are often formatted as six pairs of hexadecimal characters separated by hyphens or colons (e.g., 00-1B-44-11-3A-B7).

Key characteristics

Unique: Each network interface, such as an Ethernet port or Wi-Fi card, has its own unique MAC address. A single device can have multiple MAC addresses if it has more than one network interface.

Fixed: The MAC address is "burned into" the network circuitry at the time of manufacture and is a permanent, physical address for the hardware.

Network-specific: It is used for communication at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and is essential for devices to find each other within the same local network.

Format: It is a 12-digit hexadecimal number, often written as six groups of two digits separated by colons or hyphens.

Vendor-assigned: The first half of the address is an identifier for the manufacturer, assigned by the IEEE. The second half is a unique serial number assigned by the manufacturer.