MAC Address vs IP Address: What’s the Difference?
Are you having trouble distinguishing between MAC addresses and IP addresses? Surely, we’ve all heard a lot about these two terms: MAC address and IP address. Both can be confusing because they both imply “an address,” but in reality, they have different use cases, and each is unique in its own way.
Let’s take a closer look to help you understand what IP and MAC addresses are, as well as the key differences between them.
What is a MAC address?
MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address is a unique 12-digit hexadecimal identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC). The NIC (also known as a Network Interface Card) helps identify devices connected to a specific network. As the name suggests, the network interface card provides the interface through which the user’s Internet-supported device connects to the Internet, either via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable.
A MAC address is assigned by the device manufacturer, though it can be changed if desired. Since the MAC address is linked to the network interface card, it is also commonly referred to as the “physical address.”
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MAC addresses are usually displayed in six pairs of two digits or characters, separated by colons (:), hyphens (-), or periods (.) for readability. Here’s an example of a MAC address: 3A:34:52:C4:69:B8. The first three pairs represent the organizationally unique identifier (OUI), while the last three pairs identify a specific NIC.
Though the term “MAC” might make you think of Apple devices, that’s not the case. Any device that can connect to the Internet has a MAC address. So, a 5-year-old laptop, a smart speaker with Google Assistant, a smart TV, and any other device you can connect to the Internet all have MAC addresses.
What is an IP address?
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique identifier assigned to a device connected to a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. An IP address can be likened to a house address, which is crucial for sending mail. Similarly, an IP address allows different devices connected to a network to communicate with each other. It is the address that your computer uses to send and receive data.
For example, if you want to send data to a specific computer on the Internet, a router will route that data to the computer using its unique identifier (IP address). The same applies to websites, as each website has its own unique IP address.
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There are two versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 consists of a set of four numbers separated by periods, ranging from 0 to 255. Here’s a sample IPv4 address: 207.228.238.7. On the other hand, IPv6 consists of eight groups of hexadecimal numbers, separated by colons. A sample IPv6 address looks like this: 2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:8888. IPv6 is the newest version of the IP address.
Differences Between MAC and IP Addresse
Now that you know what MAC and IP addresses are, let’s dive deeper into how they differ. First, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns an IP address, while a manufacturer of a network interface controller assigns a MAC address. An IP address is a logical address, 32 bits (IPv4) or 128 bits (IPv6), whereas a MAC address is a physical address, 48 bits long.
The MAC address operates in the data link layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, whereas the IP address operates in the network layer. Another difference is that an IP address is temporary, whereas a MAC address is permanent (although it can be changed, it should be done carefully).
Additionally, two or more devices cannot share the same MAC address, whereas multiple devices can share an IP address. In short, an IP address identifies a network connection, while a MAC address identifies the physical device connected to the network.
With this basic understanding of IP and MAC addresses, you can now see that while these two terms may seem similar, they each have different applications and differ in several key ways. Both are crucial in network connectivity, and each is useful in different situations. You can’t simply replace one with the other.
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