MAC and IP are the addresses that uniquely defines a device and a connection in a network. A MAC address is a number assigned to the NIC card by the manufacturer. IP address is a number assigned to the connection in a network. The basic difference between MAC address and IP address is that a MAC address uniquely identifies a device that wants to take part in a network.
When i use getadapteraddressesto get IP address and subnet mask so i could search local machine subnet, my doubts are what if getadapteraddresses return subnet - 255.255.254.0 and IP - 192.160.5.10. First step is to search 192.168.5.0-255, but what next, what range should i search 192.168.6.0-255 or 192.168.4.0-255.? Use a VPN Service – fastest and most reliable. I have absolutely no doubt that using a VPN is the.
On the other hand, an IP address uniquely defines a connection of a network with an interface of a device. Let us study some other differences between MAC address and IP address with the help of comparison chart shown below.
One, you need to change your MAC address so you network will recognize your device and allow it to connect. Two, for malicious purposes you may need to spoof you MAC address so you could gain access to networks or to hide who you really are. Spoofing your MAC address is legal and can be done safely within Windows without any external software.
Content: MAC address Vs IP address
Comparison Chart
| Basis for Comparison | MAC | IP |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Media Access Control Address. | Internet Protocol Address. |
| Purpose | It identifies the physical address of a computer on the internet. | It identifies connection of a computer on the internet. |
| Bits | It is 48 bits (6 bytes) hexadecimal address. | IPv4 is a 32-bit (4 bytes) address, and IPv6 is a 128-bits (16 bytes) address. |
| Address | MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer of NIC card. | IP address is assigned by the network administrator or Internet Service Provider. |
| Retrieve Address | ARP protocol can retrieve MAC address of a device. | RARP protocol can retrieve IP address of a device. |
Definition of Mac Address
Address that uniquely defines a hardware interface is called MAC (Media Access Control) Address. MAC address is purchased by the manufacturer, producing interface hardware and assign the MAC addresses sequentially to the interface hardware as they are produced. MAC address is burned into the ROM of Network Interface Card (NIC). NIC is an interface hardware that is used by the computer to become a part of a network.
MAC address is a 48-bit hexadecimal address. The format of a MAC address is MM:MM:MM:SS:SS:SS, where MM:MM:MM is a 3-byte address of the manufacturer. On the other hand, SS:SS:SS is a serial number of NIC card. MAC Address of each computer on a network is unique. When you change or replace the NIC card of your computer, your MAC address also gets changed.
MAC address is used at the data link layer of OSI/TCP/IP model. ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a protocol used to receive MAC address of a device.
Definition of IP Address
The address provided to a connection in a network is called IP (Internet Protocol) address. IP address does not uniquely identify a device on a network but, it specifies a particular connection in a network. IP address is provided by the administrator of the network or by Internet Service Provider (ISP).
IP address identifies both a network and the host on that network. IP address is used while routing as it specifically identifies a network connection. If your computer is on two networks so, it will have two IP addresses.
IPv4 address is 32-bit address whereas IPv6 is 128-bit address. Your IP address will get changed each time you connect to the network as it is dynamically allocated to your device when it participates in the network. IP address for a particular connection in a network can be retrieved by RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol).
Key Differences Between MAC Address and IP Address
- The full form of MAC address is Media Acess Control whereas, the full form of IP address is Internet Protocol address.
- The IP address identifies a connection to a device in a network. On the other hand, Mac address identifies a device participating in a network.
- MAC address is 48 bits (6 bytes) hexadecimal address whereas, IP address has two versions, IPv4 a 32-bit address and IPv6 a 128-bit address.
- MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer of interface hardware. On the other hand, IP address is assigned by the network administrator or Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- ARP protocol retrieves the MAC address whereas RARP protocol retrieves IP address.
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Conclusion
MAC and IP address both are equally required when a device wants to communicate with another device in a network.
Related Differences:
Both MAC Address and IP Address are used to uniquely defines a device on the internet. NIC Card’s Manufacturer provides the MAC Address, on the other hand Internet Service Provider provides IP Address.
The main difference between MAC and IP address is that, MAC Address is used to ensure the physical address of computer. It uniquely identifies the devices on a network. While IP address are used to uniquely identifies the connection of network with that device take part in a network.
Let’s see the difference between MAC Address and IP Address:
| S.NO | MAC Address | IP Address |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | MAC Address stands for Media Access Control Address. | IP Address stands for Internet Protocol Address. |
| 2. | MAC Address is a six byte hexadecimal address. | IP Address is either four byte (IPv4) or six byte (IPv6) address. |
| 3. | A device attached with MAC Address can retrieve by ARP protocol. | A device attached with IP Address can retrieve by RARP protocol. |
| 4. | NIC Card’s Manufacturer provides the MAC Address. | Internet Service Provider provides IP Address. |
| 5. | MAC Address is used to ensure the physical address of computer. | IP Address is the logical address of the computer. |
| 6. | MAC Address operates in the data link layer. | IP Address operates in the network layer. |
| 7. | MAC Address helps in simply identifying the device. | IP Address identifies the connection of the device on the network. |
| 8. | MAC Address of computer cannot be changed with time and environment. | IP Address modifies with the time and environment. |
| 9. | MAC Address can’t be found easily by third party. | IP Address can be found by third party. |
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