MAC address
compound.compound. Stands for Media Access Control address. A unique code given to every piece of hardware that connects to a network, like a phone or a laptop. It helps routers identify exactly which device is sending or receiving data.
compound. Abbreviation for Media Access Control address. A unique, permanent hardware identifier assigned to a network interface controller for communications at the data link layer of a network segment. It is typically represented as six groups of two hexadecimal digits.
The technician asked for the MAC address of my laptop.
To improve security, the office router is configured to only allow specific MAC addresses to join the wireless network.
While an IP address can change depending on the network connection, a MAC address is hard-coded into the device's network card by the manufacturer to ensure global uniqueness.
An initialism for Media Access Control address. The term is derived from the Media Access Control sublayer of the Data Link Layer, as defined in the IEEE 802 networking standards.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in technical contexts regarding networking and hardware security.
I changed my MAC address to connect to the internet.I changed my IP address to connect to the internet.Learners often confuse the MAC address, which is a permanent hardware ID, with the IP address, which is a temporary network location.
Last updated July 22, 2026