In computer networking, the (v4]]) and () are the two most widely used protocols for identifying and addressing devices on a network. These protocols assign an IP address to each device, allowing it to communicate with other devices through the Internet.
An IP address serves as a unique identifier for a device, much like a phone number does for a telephone. It consists of a series of numbers separated by periods (IPv4) or colons (IPv6). A address is globally routable and can be directly accessed over the Internet, while a address is typically used within a local network and is not directly reachable from the Internet.
To facilitate communication between devices, each , such as a network card or wireless adapter, is assigned a unique () at the of the . are hard-coded into the network interface and provide a physical address for devices on a local network.
A network interface operates at both the Data Link Layer and Network Layer of the OSI Model. It receives packets at the Data Link Layer and uses the MAC address to identify the intended recipient. At the Network Layer, the IP address is used to route the packet to the correct destiion.
While MAC addresses are typically unique and hard-coded, there are instances where they can be manipulated through a technique known as . This involves changing the MAC address of a network interface to impersonate another device or to evade network filters and security measures.
Keywords
mac addresses | [[ip | mac address spoofing | data link layer | osi model | media access control address | mac address | ipv6 | private ip | internet protocol version 6 | network interface | nat | internet protocol version 4 | public ip |
