MAC address: structure simply explained

The individual devices in a network can be clearly identified using the MAC address. The structure of the Media Access Control address is precisely defined, so that double assignments are generally excluded.

The structure of the MAC address

The MAC address consists of six bytes, separated by a hyphen or a colon.

• The 48-bit hardware address is given in hexadecimal notation, letters from A to F and numbers from 0 to 9.
• The first three bytes are reserved for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. If you want to find out the manufacturer of the network adapter, you can do so via the IEEE database.
• The last three bytes of the MAC address are assigned by the hardware manufacturers.
• If you are now wondering what the difference between an IP address and a MAC address is, you will also get an answer. A MAC address is assigned to exactly one piece of hardware and is therefore static, whereas an IP address is assigned temporarily and is therefore dynamic.

If you would like to have your MAC address displayed, you should read on.