what is the difference of an ip address and a mac address?

Answer 1

An IP address is a layer 3 identifier (network layer). It can be set to a computer's network card and changed easily. It is used for identification over networks.

A Mac address is a layer 2 identifier (data layer). It is used only on the local network and cannot be changed easily (only temporarily with some software). It is used for identification on the network.

IP addresses are matched to Mac addresses using ARP.

Answer 2

Got from Internet:

Every network device has two types of addresses, one called the logical address, in most cases this is the IP Address and the other one being the physical address, also known as MAC Address.
The IP Address is an address bind to the network device, i.e., computer, via software. In a Windows powered computer, the Windows operating system allows the user to configure the IP Address the specific workstation will have. This IP Address is used to allow all network aware programs, i.e., Internet Explorer, Netscape, Outlook, etc. to use this address when communicating with other hosts. The 7 layer OSI model has the IP Addresses.

The MAC Address is a hardware address, which means is unique to the network card installed on your PC. No two devices on a local network should ever have the same MAC Address. In the unlikely event this occurs, the two devices will have major communication problems. During the manual factor process, the vendor 'burns' a specific MAC Address into each network card's ROM. When the serial numbers have all been used, they start from the beginning, as it's very unlikely anyone would buy two network cards from the same vendor and they will contain the same MAC Address.

So, to sum all that up, you should remember that a IP Address is a logical address which is configured via the operating system, while the MAC address is a hardware address, burnt into the network card's ROM during the manual factoring process.

Answer 3

IP address is your phone number on the internet -- it is the number that uniquely associates you to the internet.

Mac address is a unique number for your internet card -- each net card will have a "unique" mac address, and all of your computer can access the internet through a router with a single IP address.

a Mac address cannot be used to connect to your computer.

Enjoy

Answer 4

A mac address is an address that your network card has. The ipaddress is an address that is given to your computer to be identified in a Local Area Network and the Internet. Its like a UNIQUE number and only 1 machine can have it at one time. Then again there are proxys but thats something different.

Answer 5

The MAC Address is a number specific to your network card. (Although it can be changed.) An IP as addressed assigned (or requested) for each network you connect to, including the internet.

Start > Run... "cmd" and type inconfig /all
This will show all your netowrk addressing you are connected as, including IP and Physical MAC address.

Answer 6

MAC - Machine Address Code.. permanant to your COMPUTER!!! NOT the NIC as so many people here think.
Internet protocol address is assigned to you based on the server that connects you to the internet. Read up on DHCP and DNS for more info.

Answer 7

ip is fluid and can change ... mac is a physical adress assigned to every piece of internet hardware ... nic cards, modems, routers ... all have a permanent fixed physical "MAC" adress ....

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_address
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_address