Why do we need MAC addresses?
a day ago
- #MAC address
- #IP address
- #networking
- MAC addresses are not used by the Internet; Internet packets do not contain MAC addresses.
- MAC addresses are used within local networks like Ethernet and Wi-Fi to relay packets between devices on the same network.
- IP addresses are used for routing packets across different networks (internetworking), while MAC addresses handle local network delivery.
- Ethernet switches operate using MAC addresses and do not understand IP addresses.
- Routers connect different networks, using IP addresses to determine the next hop for a packet, then repackaging it with the appropriate MAC address for the next local network.
- IP networks rely on underlying technologies like Ethernet or Wi-Fi to physically transmit packets, as IP itself does not define how to send data over wires.
- Ethernet and Wi-Fi dominate local networking, with virtual interfaces and VPNs also playing significant roles in modern networking.