Which address uniquely identifies a network interface card on a local network?

Which address uniquely identifies a network interface card on a local network?

• A. IP Address
• B. URL
• C. MAC Address
• D. Subnet Mask

Answer: (C)

The MAC Address is a unique identifier assigned to network interface cards (NICs) for communication on a local area network (LAN). Each MAC Address is hard-coded into the hardware by the manufacturer and typically represented as a series of six pairs of hexadecimal digits. This uniqueness allows devices within the same network to identify each other distinctly, enabling effective communication. In contrast, an IP Address is used for locating a device on a network but can change depending on the network the device is connected to and the method of addressing. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) serves as a web address for accessing resources on the internet but does not uniquely identify a device within a local network. The Subnet Mask is used in conjunction with an IP Address to determine the network’s size and the range of addresses that are on the same local network, but it does not uniquely identify individual devices. Therefore, the MAC Address is the correct choice because it specifically provides a unique identifier for a network interface card within a local network setting.

The MAC Address is a unique identifier assigned to network interface cards (NICs) for communication on a local area network (LAN). Each MAC Address is hard-coded into the hardware by the manufacturer and typically represented as a series of six pairs of hexadecimal digits. This uniqueness allows devices within the same network to identify each other distinctly, enabling effective communication.

In contrast, an IP Address is used for locating a device on a network but can change depending on the network the device is connected to and the method of addressing. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) serves as a web address for accessing resources on the internet but does not uniquely identify a device within a local network. The Subnet Mask is used in conjunction with an IP Address to determine the network’s size and the range of addresses that are on the same local network, but it does not uniquely identify individual devices.

Therefore, the MAC Address is the correct choice because it specifically provides a unique identifier for a network interface card within a local network setting.