Ethernet MAC address
An Ethernet MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on physical networks.
How big is it?
6 B of data
Address size · specified
A little perspective
About 6 times the data of ASCII character.
ASCII character: An ASCII character is a letter, digit, punctuation mark or control code encoded using the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Ethernet MAC address
A conventional IEEE 802 MAC-48 address contains 48 bits, or 6 bytes. Colons, hyphens and hexadecimal characters used to display it are not included.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked address size is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
ASCII character
One ASCII character stored as one byte. UTF-8 characters can occupy more than one byte.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked data is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 6 B
For comparison, this page uses address size. The record labels this value specified, so the stated convention rather than an inferred average controls the comparison.
A conventional IEEE 802 MAC-48 address contains 48 bits, or 6 bytes. Colons, hyphens and hexadecimal characters used to display it are not included.
The identifying illustration and the numerical comparison remain separate. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Ethernet MAC address dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 B | Not recorded | specified |
Around this scale
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These links use compatible data records, ordered around the selected value.
Nearest lower value · DigitalIPv4 address4 BAn IPv4 address is a numerical label used to identify a device on a computer network that uses Internet Protocol version 4 for communication.Nearest higher value · DigitalIPv6 address16 BAn IPv6 address is a numerical label used to identify devices on a computer network using the Internet Protocol version 6.Sources and method
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DigitalASCII character1 BAn ASCII character is a letter, digit, punctuation mark or control code encoded using the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.DigitalIPv4 address4 BAn IPv4 address is a numerical label used to identify a device on a computer network that uses Internet Protocol version 4 for communication.DigitalIPv6 address16 BAn IPv6 address is a numerical label used to identify devices on a computer network using the Internet Protocol version 6.DigitalUniversally unique identifier16 BA universally unique identifier is a standardised alphanumeric code used to distinguish information or objects in computer systems.DigitalSHA-256 digest32 BA SHA-256 digest is a unique digital fingerprint generated from input data using the SHA-256 cryptographic hash algorithm.DigitalGPS navigation message subframe37.5 BA GPS navigation message subframe is a segment of digital data transmitted by GPS satellites to provide positioning and timing information to receivers.DigitalEd25519 digital signature64 BAn Ed25519 digital signature is a cryptographic value used to verify the authenticity and integrity of digital messages or documents.DigitalFour-bit hexadecimal digit0.5 BA four-bit hexadecimal digit is a data unit capable of representing any value from 0 to 15, commonly used in digital systems.