How is a MAC address Split?

As typically represented, MAC addresses are recognizable as six groups of two hexadecimal digits, separated by hyphens, colons, or without a separator.

Can 2 devices have the same MAC address?

No two devices on a local network should ever have the same MAC address. If that does happen, both devices will have communications problems because the local network will get confused about which device should receive the packet.

Can MAC address be duplicated?

Duplicate MAC Addresses MAC Addresses are ‘burned’ into the Network Interface Card (NIC) and cannot be changed. See ARP and RARP on how IP addresses are translated into MAC Addresses and vice versa. In order for a network device to be able to communicate, the MAC Address it is using must be unique.

Are all MAC addresses 12 digits?

The MAC address is a 12 digit hexadecimal number that is most often displayed with a colon or hypen separating every two digits (an octet), making it easier to read. Example: A MAC address of 2c549188c9e3 is typically displayed as 2C:54:91:88:C9:E3 or 2c-54-91-88-c9-e3.

How is a MAC address format?

MAC addresses follow the format, XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, but will sometimes display as XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX or XXXXXXXXXXXX. Instructions for finding the MAC address for some commonly used devices and operating systems are shown below.

What can happen if two machines have the same MAC address and record your findings here?

The whole point about MAC addresses is that they are unique, so unless you deliberately spoof a duplicate MAC this cannot happen. If two nodes in a network have the same IP neither will connect if the other is also connected.

Are MAC addresses unique to each device?

The IEEE manages MAC addresses. The hardware identification addresses that the IEEE distributes are unique. That makes the probability of matching MAC addresses zero.

What is spoofing a MAC address?

MAC spoofing is a technique for changing a factory-assigned Media Access Control (MAC) address of a network interface on a networked device. The MAC address that is hard-coded on a network interface controller (NIC) cannot be changed. However, many drivers allow the MAC address to be changed.

Why do MAC addresses have two parts?

It is the combination of the OUI and the vendor-assigned number that ensures that no two network adapters have the same MAC address. MAC addresses are represented as hexadecimal (hex) numbers.

What is the first half of a MAC address called?

organizationally unique identifier (OUI)
To ensure a unique MAC address, the first half of the address identifies the manufacturer of the card. This code is called the organizationally unique identifier (OUI). Each manufacturer assigns a MAC address with its own OUI as the first half of the address.