What type of address is a MAC address?

A MAC address is classified as a physical address because it refers to a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for communication on the physical network segment. This address is hardcoded into the hardware at the time of manufacturing, meaning it is inherent to the device and does not change.

The primary function of a MAC address is to enable devices to communicate with one another within the same local area network (LAN) by providing a way to identify each device on the network uniquely. This addressing is essential for the data link layer of the OSI model and plays a critical role in Ethernet networking.

In contrast, logical addresses, such as IP addresses, can change over time and are used for routing data across different networks. Virtual addresses refer to addresses that are managed by virtualization software and dynamic addresses relate to addresses assigned temporarily, often via DHCP. These distinctions clarify why a MAC address is specifically categorized as a physical address.