Hello, everyone!
Do you know the difference between an IP address and a MAC address?
Today, I would like to share this knowledge with you.
An IP address is an abbreviation for Internet Protocol Address. An IP address is a unified address format provided by the IP protocol. It allocates a logical address to each network and each host on the Internet to shield the differences between physical addresses.
A MAC address is also called a physical address or a hardware address and is used to define the location of a network device. The physical address of the network adapter is usually burnt into the network adapter by the network adapter manufacturer and is globally unique. A MAC address uniquely identifies a network adapter on a network. A computer has one or more network adapters, and each network adapter has a unique MAC address.
The differences between IP addresses and MAC addresses are as follows:
1) For a device on the network, such as a computer or a router, the IP address is designed based on the network topology. For the same device or computer, the IP address can be easily changed but must be unique. The MAC address is programmed by the manufacturer and cannot be changed. We can assign any IP address to a host as required. For example, we can assign 192.168.0.112 to a computer on the LAN or change the IP address to 192.168.0.200. Once a network device (such as a network adapter or a router) is produced, its MAC address cannot be modified by the configuration of the local connection. If a computer's network adapter fails, the MAC address of the computer changes after the network adapter is replaced.
2) The lengths are different. The IP address contains 32 bits, and the MAC address contains 48 bits.
3) The allocation basis is different. IP addresses are allocated based on the network topology, and MAC addresses are allocated based on manufacturers.
4) The addressing protocol layers are different. IP addresses are used at the network layer, which is the third layer of the OSI model, and MAC addresses are used at the data link layer, which is the second layer of the OSI model. The data link layer protocol enables data to be transmitted from one node to another node on the same link through the MAC address. The network layer protocol enables data to be transmitted from one network to another network. The ARP finds the MAC address of the intermediate node according to the destination IP address and then transmits the data through the intermediate node to the destination network.
As shown in the following figure, MAC addresses work at the link-layer or below, and IP addresses work at the network layer or above.
Now, do you get what is the Differences between IP addresses and MAC addresses?
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