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What is a MAC address? What is it used for?
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A MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment. This use is common in most IEEE 802 networking technologies, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Within the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network model, MAC addresses are used in the medium access control protocol sublayer of the data link layer.
MAC addresses are typically 12-digit hexadecimal numbers, expressed as six groups of two hexadecimal digits separated by hyphens or colons. For example, a MAC address might be 00:11:22:33:44:55.
The first three octets of a MAC address, known as the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), are assigned by the IEEE to a manufacturer. The remaining three octets are assigned by the manufacturer. This means that no two MAC addresses in the world are the same.
MAC addresses are used for a variety of purposes, including:
Identifying devices on a network
Controlling access to a network
Troubleshooting network problems
Blocking unwanted traffic
Tracking device movement
MAC addresses can be spoofed, which means that a device can be given a false MAC address. This can be done for malicious purposes, such as to bypass network security or to hide the identity of a device.
However, MAC addresses are still a valuable tool for network administrators and security professionals. By understanding how MAC addresses work, they can better secure their networks and troubleshoot problems.
Here are some additional things to know about MAC addresses:
They are a permanent and unchangeable identifier for a device.
They can be used to track the movement of a device on a network.
They can be used to block unwanted traffic from a device.
They can be used to control access to a network.
They can be spoofed, but this can be detected by network administrators.
I hope this helps!
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