2007-10-19 09:47:37 · 2 answers · asked by Ryder 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
MAC layer protocol.. that doesn't even make sense!
NIC = Network Interface Card - aka - Ethernet card
MAC= Media Access Control address. This 48-bit address space contains potentially 248 or 281,474,976,710,656 possible MAC addresses. Most MAC addresses are universally administered address and is uniquely assigned to a device by its manufacturer; these are sometimes called "burned-in addresses." The first three octets (in transmission order) identify the organization that issued the identifier and are known as the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI). The following three (MAC-48 and EUI-48) or five (EUI-64) octets are assigned by that organization in nearly any manner they please, subject to the constraint of uniqueness. The IEEE expects the MAC-48 space to be exhausted no sooner than the year 2100; EUI-64s are not expected to run out in the foreseeable future.
2007-10-19 22:53:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NIC = Network Interface Card (they physical network card)
MAC = Media Access Control (part of the firmware on the NIC)
2007-10-19 17:13:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋