What is a MAC address ?

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MAC Address :-

What is a MAC address?
A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communication within a network. It distinguishes each device on a network and facilitates the transmission of data between devices.

What layer of the OSI model does it belong to?
A MAC address operates at Layer 2, the Data Link Layer, of the OSI model.

What is the format and structure of a MAC address?
A MAC address is a 48-bit (6 bytes) identifier typically represented in hexadecimal format. It consists of six pairs of alphanumeric characters, separated by colons or hyphens. The first half of the MAC address represents the manufacturer’s unique identifier, while the second half is a unique serial number.

How is a MAC address different from an IP address?
MAC addresses are hardware addresses assigned to network interfaces by manufacturers, whereas IP addresses are logical addresses assigned to devices on a network by administrators. MAC addresses operate at Layer 2 and are used for local network communication, while IP addresses operate at Layer 3 and are used for routing data across networks.

What are some common uses of MAC addresses?

MAC addresses are used for identifying devices on a network.
They facilitate communication between devices within the same network segment.
Switches use MAC addresses for forwarding data frames to the appropriate destination device.
MAC addresses are employed in access control lists (ACLs) and security policies for network security purposes.

Can a MAC address be changed? If so, how and why?
In most cases, MAC addresses are hardcoded into network interface cards (NICs) by manufacturers and are intended to be permanent. However, it is possible to change a MAC address through software modifications or using specialized tools. Changing MAC addresses can be done for privacy reasons, to bypass network restrictions, or to troubleshoot network connectivity issues.

What are the security implications of MAC addresses?
MAC addresses can be used for implementing security measures such as MAC address filtering in routers and switches to control network access. However, MAC addresses can also be spoofed or manipulated, leading to potential security vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access to network resources or impersonation attacks. T

What are MAC spoofing and MAC flooding attacks?

MAC Spoofing: MAC spoofing is a technique where an attacker changes the MAC address of their device to impersonate another legitimate device on the network. This can be used to bypass MAC address filtering or to launch man-in-the-middle attacks.
MAC Flooding: MAC flooding is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack where the attacker floods a switch’s MAC address table with fake MAC addresses, causing the switch to enter into fail-open mode and start broadcasting traffic to all ports. This can overwhelm the network and degrade its performance.

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Credits: Mr. Ashutosh Kumar