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What is the major difference between IP address and MAC address ?

Last updated:9/20/2019 4:44:43 AM

20-Sep-2019

Some common Differences Between the MAC Address and IP Address

The full form of MAC address is Media Acess Control whereas, the full form of IP address is Internet Protocol address.
The IP address identifies a connection to a device in a network. On the other hand, the Mac address identifies a device participating in a network.
MAC address is 48 bits (6 bytes) hexadecimal address whereas, IP address has two versions, IPv4 a 32-bit address and IPv6 a 128-bit address.
MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer of interface hardware. On the other hand, the IP address is assigned by the network administrator or Internet Service Provider (ISP).
ARP protocol retrieves the MAC address whereas RARP protocol retrieves IP address.

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24-Sep-2019

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR COMPARISON	MAC	IP
Full-Form	This is the short form of Media Access Control Address.	Internet Protocol Address.
Purpose	It identifies the physical address of a computer on the internet.	It identifies the connection of a computer on the internet.
Bits	It is 48 bits (6 bytes) hexadecimal address.	IPv4 is a 32-bit (4 bytes) address, and IPv6 is a 128-bits (16 bytes) address.
Address	MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer of NIC card.	An IP address is assigned by the network administrator or Internet Service Provider.
Retrieve Address	ARP protocol can retrieve the MAC address of a device.	RARP protocol can retrieve the IP address of a device.

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