Basics of MAC Addressing

Basics of MAC Addressing

The lecture explains what MAC addresses are, how they differ from IP addresses, and how to view a device’s MAC address on Windows.

Main Ideas

• MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address is a physical or hardware address used to identify a device on a local-area network (LAN).
• The lecture compares addresses to a person’s identity:
  • An IP address is like a person’s location: it can change as the person moves between places.
  • A MAC address is like the person’s name: it is associated with the device and, as explained in the lecture, generally does not change.
• Both addresses are involved in network communication, but they serve different roles:
  • Routers use IP addresses when deciding where to forward data.
  • Switches use MAC addresses to deliver data to the appropriate device on a local network. Switches maintain MAC address tables to help make those forwarding decisions.
• The lecture contrasts the common address formats:
  • IPv4 addresses are 32 bits and written in decimal, usually with dots.
  • MAC addresses are 48 bits and written in hexadecimal. Their separators may be hyphens, periods, or colons, depending on the format used.
• In Windows network details, a device’s MAC address is listed as its physical address.

How to View a MAC Address on Windows

1. Open Command Prompt by searching for CMD.
2. Enter ipconfig /all.
3. Find the relevant network adapter, such as the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter currently in use.
4. Look for Physical Address. This is the adapter’s MAC address.

Speaker and Source

A single instructor/narrator from Neso Academy.