People rarely use the address numbers directly, instead using DNS names, which the application translates into the matching number. That address is inserted into the data packets that the network software stack sends out. The MAC address is only significant on the LAN to which a device is connected, and it is not used or retained in the data stream once packets leave that network.Īny piece of internet software, such as a web browser, directs data to a destination on the internet using the destination's IP address. This is the primary difference between a MAC address and IP address, and it affects how they differ in their number of bits, address assignment and interactions.

global identification Ī MAC address is responsible for local identification and an IP address for global identification.

Some of the main differences between a MAC address and an IP address include the following: IP address: What's the difference?īoth MAC addresses and IP addresses are meant to identify a network device, but in different ways.

Convert mac address to device name