Explain the concept of MAC address.

Explain the concept of MAC address.

A MAC address, also known as a Media Access Control address, is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface card (NIC) by the manufacturer. It is a 48-bit address, typically represented in hexadecimal format, and is used to identify devices on a local area network (LAN). The MAC address is embedded in the hardware of the NIC and is used by the data link layer of the OSI model to control access to the network. It ensures that data is sent to the correct destination by providing a unique identifier for each device on the network.