In order to prevent strangers from accessing a network, the router is set to accept only specific MAC addresses. One of the applications of MAC addresses is in the filtering process on wireless networks. Some firms may have more than one MAC address. Some manufacturers, such as Dell, place a unique identifier in the MAC address, which is called the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), and identifies the manufacturer. An example of a MAC address is 30-65-EC-6F-C4-58. The format is six sets of two digits or characters, separated by hyphens. The MAC address is formed in accordance to the rules of the three numbering name spaces, which are managed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

During network communication the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) for the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) or the Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) for IPv6 translates the IP into a NIC. The NIC is a computer circuit card that allows a computer to connect to a network. The MAC address is usually assigned by the manufacturer of a Network Interface Controller (NIC), and it is stored in the hardware. Among its applications are the Ethernet, 802.11 wireless networks and Bluetooth.

Sometimes it is known as the burned-in address (BIA) or the Ethernet hardware address (EHA). It is used as a network address for most IEEE 802 network technologies. It is a unique identifier for network interfaces.

What is network mac address