Static IP Assignment: Routers allow you to assign static IP addresses to your computers.In addition to their core networking use, MAC addresses are often used for other purposes: RELATED: 22 Common Network Jargon Terms Explained It knows to send the request to the MAC address of your router’s network interface. At the hardware level of your network card, though, your network card is only looking at other MAC addresses for interfaces on the same network. Your computer sends the request to your router, which then sends it out onto the Internet. The web address you type gets translated to the IP address of the server.

When a browser on your computer needs to grab a web page from a server on the Internet, for example, that request passes down through several layers of the TCP/IP protocol. What MAC Addresses Are Used ForĪt the lowest networking level, network interfaces attached to a network use MAC addresses to communicate with one another.

These MAC addresses-sometimes referred to as physical or hardware addresses-are assigned in the factory, but you can usually change the addresses in software. Each network interface connected to your network-whether it’s your router, wireless device, or network card in your computer-has a unique media access control (MAC) address.

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