Term of the Moment
H.264
Definition: MAC address
(Media Access Control address) The unique 48-bit serial number in the network circuitry of every Ethernet and Wi-Fi device. The MAC address, which holds 256 trillion unique numbers, identifies that device from every other globally. Also used in earlier Token Ring networks, the ID is assigned to vendors by the IEEE and "burned into" the network circuit at the time of manufacture. See MAC layer, OUI and binary values.
Logical IP and Physical Ethernet
Wireless MAC Addresses
Each machine in an IP network has an IP address assigned temporarily by software (see DHCP) or permanently by the network administrator. The physical address is assigned by the manufacturer of the hardware. See IP address.
Smartphones have unique MAC addresses for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as in this iPhone example. Like Ethernet, Wi-Fi also requires an IP address, which can be viewed in Settings. Bluetooth does not use IP addresses.