With MAC filtering in place, only computers whose MAC addresses have been approved are able to communicate on the network. This process is called MAC filtering and is extremely useful if a hacker is attempting to hijack a network IP address. This comes in handy for excluding data coming from a hacker’s machine, for example. In addition, due to the fact that each device has a unique MAC address, MAC numbers can be used to block unwanted devices from communicating on a network. They are also an extremely useful diagnostic tool for network administrators to identify problems on their local network. When a router tracks outbound requests, it attaches the private IP address to them so that when packets return from the internet it knows which device to forward them to.īecause MAC addresses never change, they are a reliable tool for pinpointing the senders and receivers of data on a network. When you send a request to a website, the MAC address is updated each and every time the data arrives at a new router on the journey to its final destination. Your public and private IP address stay the same throughout the journey, but the MAC address is constantly changing as your data hops around the world. If you click on a YouTube link, your request must travel, or 'hop' across many servers and routers to get to its final destination. Thus, PCs with multiple LAN ports or WiFi modules also have multiple MAC addresses. It is also worth noting that each network interface card has a MAC address. Think of the MAC as a personal ID number belonging to each individual device.Ī MAC address is assigned to your device when it is manufactured and is hardcoded into the firmware.Ī MAC address is usually six sets of two-digits/characters that are separated by colons. A MAC address identifies each individual machine attached to a local network. What is a MAC address?Įach device on your network has a unique MAC address. This is where the Media Access Control (MAC) address comes in.
However, when devices want to communicate with the outside world via the internet - it is necessary to use a third address for networking to occur. Those local IP addresses are used to identify each individual device. This local IP address is only visible within the local network or subnet (your home). When your devices connect to your network's router, they are each assigned a private IP address using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). This means another address is needed for your router to correctly forward data to each individual device on your network. However, that public IP address is assigned to your router - not each individual device in your home. When their devices connect to the internet, websites and online services must communicate with them using their public IP address.Ī public IP address is a digital address that is given to you by your internet service provider. PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart devices, games consoles - to name a few. Nowadays, people have a whole host of devices connected to their router via Ethernet, or WiFi.
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