#Are mac addresses unique serial number#

IP address for a particular connection in a network can be retrieved by RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol). Your IP address will get changed each time you connect to the network as it is dynamically allocated to your device when it participates in the network. IPv4 address is 32-bit address whereas IPv6 is 128-bit address. However, it would probably be of little or no real use to you: MAC addresses are not unique numbers - far from it - they are only required to be unique within a LAN or WLAN segment, and are very likely to be duplicated if coming from separate sites. If your computer is on two networks so, it will have two IP addresses. MAC addresses are never transfered beyond the router connecting a lan segment to the internet. IP address is used while routing as it specifically identifies a network connection. IP address identifies both a network and the host on that network. IP address is provided by the administrator of the network or by Internet Service Provider (ISP). IP address does not uniquely identify a device on a network but, it specifies a particular connection in a network.

The address provided to a connection in a network is called IP (Internet Protocol) address. ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a protocol used to receive MAC address of a device. MAC address is used at the data link layer of OSI/TCP/IP model. When you change or replace the NIC card of your computer, your MAC address also gets changed. MAC Address of each computer on a network is unique.

#Are mac addresses unique serial number#

On the other hand, SS:SS:SS is a serial number of NIC card. The format of a MAC address is MM:MM:MM:SS:SS:SS, where MM:MM:MM is a 3-byte address of the manufacturer. MAC address is a 48-bit hexadecimal address.

NIC is an interface hardware that is used by the computer to become a part of a network.

MAC address is burned into the ROM of Network Interface Card (NIC). MAC address is purchased by the manufacturer, producing interface hardware and assign the MAC addresses sequentially to the interface hardware as they are produced. Address that uniquely defines a hardware interface is called MAC (Media Access Control) Address.