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Why is the IP address called a “logical” address, and the MAC address is called a “physical” address?

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Let us try to deeply understand, why IP address is known as “Logical” while, MAC Address is known as “Physical” address. 

The IP address and the MAC address are both used for addressing and identifying devices on a computer network, but they serve different purposes and operate at different levels of the network stack.

An IP address is a logical address because it is assigned by a software protocol, such as the Internet Protocol (IP), to uniquely identify a device on a network. It is designed to work at the network layer of the network stack, which is responsible for routing packets across different networks. IP addresses are used to provide logical addressing and routing functionality, allowing devices on different networks to communicate with each other.

On the other hand, a MAC address is a physical address because it is hardcoded into the network interface card (NIC) of a device by the manufacturer. It is designed to work at the data link layer of the network stack, which is responsible for transmitting data between devices on the same network. MAC addresses are used for low-level communication between devices on the same network, such as Ethernet LANs.

The term “physical address” refers to the fact that the MAC address is tied to the physical hardware of the network interface card, which is a physical component of the device. The MAC address uniquely identifies the NIC and is used to ensure that data is transmitted to the correct destination on the same physical network.

In summary, the IP address is a logical address because it is assigned by software to identify a device on a network, while the MAC address is a physical address because it is hardcoded into the hardware of a network interface card to identify the device on a physical network.

What is a MAC?

  • A MAC also known as Machine Access Control is like a type of serial number which is assigned for every component of network adapter, No two network adapters possess same MAC address.

MAC Address or  Physical Address in Computer Networks : 
This MAC which is also called as physical address or hardware address as it literally identifies an item of hardware. These MAC Address uses 3 kinds of number system and all follow same format. These Addresses either can be “Universally Managed” or “Locally Managed”.

Only the Manufacturer assigned the “Universally Managed” Physical Address to the devices. And those Addresses are called as ” burned-in addresses”. Routers, smartphones, tablets literally any device that contains a network card to connect via Wifi or Ethernet has a Unique Mac Address.

This MAC Address is like a fingerprint of each device which means they identify each device in like a physical identifier, just like for humans fingerprints are considered as standard source for authentication. These MAC addresses are defined and managed by Institute Of Electrical And Electronic Engineering(IEEE). A MAC address consists of 6 octets. The first 3 Octet of a MAC Address are the Organizationally Unique Identifier ( OUI) or the “Manufacturer of the Product” and the last 3 Octet are the Network Interface Controller or NIC which are specific to the device they are given too. 

As the MAC address fundamentally deals with identifying the physical details of network components, they also got a nickname “Physical Address” and it holds true as their basic operation is to identify the physical or hardware components of network like

Advantages Of MAC Address : 

  1. The MAC Address of a network card can be used to assign a static IP to a computer by a router, literally to say it a router can be configured so that it detects the presence of a MAC Address.MAC Address can be used in restricting access to a computer network to prevent unauthorized accesses from external devices into the network.
  2. MAC Addresses of a router can serve to position people with higher accuracy compared to IP Address. Some Internet Service Providers use this MAC Address to authenticate their users.
  3. MAC addresses are hardcoded into the hardware of a network interface card, which ensures a unique identifier for each device on a network.
  4. MAC addresses are used for low-level communication between devices on the same physical network, which allows for fast and efficient data transfer.
  5. MAC addresses are simple and easy to manage, as they do not require manual configuration.

Disadvantages of MAC addresses:

  1. MAC addresses are tied to the physical hardware of a device, which can be a disadvantage in mobile or virtualized environments where the hardware may change frequently.
  2. MAC addresses are limited to identifying devices on the same physical network, which can be a disadvantage in larger and more complex networks.
  3. MAC addresses are vulnerable to spoofing and other security threats, which can compromise the integrity of the network and its data.

What is IP Address ? 
An IP Address is a unique address used for identifying devices in internet or on a local network, IP is acronym for Internet Protocol, which is a set of rules governing the data transmitted in network communications. IP Addresses can be termed as identifiers which enables information to be transmitted in a network communication.

IP Address in Computer Networks : 
An IP Address is a String of numbers generated by, digits separated by periods. These IP Addresses are expressed as set of 4 digits. Each of these 4 digits are represented by 8 bits of data. When converted to decimal, these 8 bits of data give 256 from 0-255. That’s why IP Addresses range from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255, every device gets an ip address logically computed and this IP address acts as an identifier for that particular device in the network communication. 

This IP Addresses are not generated randomly but mathematically produced by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority(IANA), which is an internal division by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers(ICANN).

  1. Advantages Of IP Address : 
    The usage of Dedicated IP Addresses provide less downtime of servers. These IP Addresses produce efficient Remote access to devices in network communication.
  2. IP Address helps in enabling the device to be run as FTP Servers. IP Address provides a layer of assurance against IP Prohibition, which means external access requests are monitored strictly there by controlling the risk of cyber attacks.
  3. IP addresses are designed to work at the network layer, which allows for more flexible addressing and routing across different networks.
  4. IP addresses are hierarchical and can be subnetted, allowing for more efficient use of address space and better management of networks.
  5. IP addresses can be dynamically assigned, allowing devices to join and leave the network without manual configuration.

Disadvantages of IP addresses:

  1. IP addresses are vulnerable to spoofing and other security threats, which can compromise the integrity of the network and its data.
  2. IP addresses are subject to conflicts and misconfigurations, which can cause connectivity issues and network downtime.
  3. IP addresses can be complex to manage and configure, especially in large and complex networks.
  4.  

Conclusion :
Our Main Agenda from this article is to gain Insight why MAC Address is referred to as “Physical Address” and IP Address is referred to as “Logical Address”. 

MAC Address is called as “Physical Address” because it is a unique identifier assigned to hardware components in network communication and it is designed as kind of fingerprint to identify physically the components.

On the other hand, IP Address is known as logical as it computed logically for identifying devices in a network communication.

Both MAC and IP address main aim is to identify the network components but the only difference is MAC address job is identifying the hardware components while IP address identify the logical components, by taking this way of working into consideration their Nicknames were created respectively.


Last Updated : 19 Apr, 2023
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