When data from the internet needs to reach you, the ISP's network sees that your unique IP address is the destination, then routes that data to you. Even though there are 4. That's why the world is migrating to IPv6, of which there are over undecillion! In case you don't know what an undecillion is, it looks like this:. That should be more than enough to handle every device that humanity makes as a whole!
While IP addresses are assigned by ISPs and can be re-assigned as devices connect and disconnect, MAC addresses are tied to a physical adapter and are assigned by manufacturers. A MAC address is a digit string where each digit can be any number from 0 to 9 or a letter between A and F.
For readability sake, the string is divided into chunks. There are three common formats, the first being the most common and preferred:. The first six digits called the "prefix" represent the adapter's manufacturer, while the last six digits represent the unique identification number for that specific adapter.
The MAC address contains no information about which network a device is connected to. To learn more about structure and nuances, see our post on the intricacies of MAC addresses. The MAC address is used to deliver the data to the right device on a network.
Let's say you want to send a package to your good friend John Smith. John's name isn't unique enough as an identifier, so we can't just send a package labeled "John Smith" and expect it to arrive. However, what if we incorporated his ancestry i.
If we did that, he'd be called "John Smith, son of Edward, son of George, son of This is what a MAC address is like. While this would be enough to get your package to John, you can't just tell the post office to send it to "John Smith, son of Edward, son of George, son of That's why you need his home address. But the home address itself isn't enough on its own, either.
If yours is like most homes in the world, you probably have a subnet that starts with It's the default subnet on most residential routers. So, every device has an IP address that starts with those three octets and then ends with a unique number.
Note that each device on the network starts with When you tell your computer to talk to another device, your computer goes, "Hi, router. I'm It's on this network. Your router will have an internal table called an ARP cache.
If the IP address you are trying to talk to is listed in the table, the router immediately forwards your traffic to the destination. If your router doesn't know the MAC address, it asks all the devices on the network.
That's called a broadcast ARP message. A page guide to every Cisco, Juniper, F5, and NetApp certification, and how they fit into your career. By submitting this form you agree that you have read, understood, and are able to consent to our privacy policy. Learn anytime anywhere with our mobile apps. I have read and understood the privacy policy and am able to consent to it.
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. For each network interface in your device, there is a unique MAC address associated with it.
So if your laptop has both an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi built-in, you will see two MAC addresses in the system configuration. Occasionally, the MAC address is printed on a label affixed to the bottom of a device. Tip: Some models have the MAC address printed on a label on the bottom of the device. Due to the large amount of makes and models available, we are unable to list specific instructions. Please consult your TV's owner manual or contact your manufacturer for assistance.
You can also try searching online for "[tv brand] smart tv support", however we've included the most popular brands below:. Samsung Support.
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