They are device identifiers connected to the network and are composed of various numbers and letters. It is normal that many users can confuse them or that they do not know what each of these addresses is for. For this reason, in this note we will explain what they consist of and the usefulness that they have the IP and Mac addressesas well as the differences between them.
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What is the IP address?
Devices connected to the network have an IP address with which they are identifiable. The usual thing is that they are automatically assigned when they connect to the internet, but there are also cases in which we can choose it. This consists exclusively of numbers.
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Regarding typology, there are two types of IP addresses: public and private. Of course, each one has different objectives. On the one hand, a public IP is assigned by the internet operator and serves precisely to identify them. They are not stable and it is normal for them to vary over time. When referring to the IP, they usually refer to the public one. IP addresses cannot be repeated and each user has one that is unique.
On the other hand, the private IP address is the one that is assigned to devices such as a router, printer, tablet, mobile or computer within the scope of a home private network. To avoid conflicts, each device will have a different one. However, one of the devices in the home can have the same private IP address as one in the same home, since it is an internal network scope.
IP addresses are made up of four numbers of up to 3 digits separated by periods. Values can range from 0 to 255. Also, addresses 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255, and 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 are reserved for private IPs.
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What is a MAC address?
It is a unique identifier that each manufacturer assigns to the network card of a device and is invariable. Devices such as PCs, printers, routers, Chromecast, among others, have one and its acronym comes from English Media Access Control. Consider that some devices have different network cards. In these cases, the MAC address will depend on where they connect.
When one connects to a network, the MAC address is given, that is, the identification to the router and the administrator to be able to access it. As it is a unique identifier, care must be taken with the Internet sites from which it is accessed.
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Differences between both directions
At first glance, one stands out in sight. His composition it’s very different. While IP addresses are made up of numbers: four numbers of up to three digits separated by periods, MAC addresses are made up of 12 digits grouped into six pairs and separated by colons. They can also contain letters. Half of the pairs identify the manufacturer and the other half the device model.
On the other hand, the MAC address identifies the network card of a device and is not variable. While the IP address does and its function is to identify a device within a specific network.
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Regarding its composition, it is necessary to mention another difference. The MAC address is hexadecimal 48 bits (6 bytes) and there are two versions of IP addresses: IPv4 32 bits (4 bytes) and IPv6 128 bits (16 bytes). Being different directions, the recovery protocol of the same is also. The ARP protocol can retrieve a MAC address and the RARP protocol retrieves the IP address of a device.