Which of the following addresses is not assigned by device manufacturers?
options:
MAC address
IP address
Physical address
Hardware address
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is IP address.
Explanation:
Device manufacturers assign specific types of addresses to networked devices to ensure that they can communicate effectively. Here’s a breakdown of the different address types:
- MAC Address: The Media Access Control address is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface card (NIC) or network adapter by the manufacturer. This address is used at the data link layer of the OSI model. It is often referred to as the physical address because it is embedded into the hardware itself. The MAC address is 48 bits long and is usually written in hexadecimal form. It helps devices identify each other on a local network, and its uniqueness ensures that no two network interfaces have the same address.
- Physical Address: This term often refers to the MAC address itself. It is a hardware-level address that is assigned to the device by its manufacturer. The physical address is used to identify devices on local area networks (LANs) and is critical for devices to establish communication on the same network.
- Hardware Address: This is another term for the MAC address. It is sometimes used interchangeably with “physical address” because it is hardcoded into the device’s hardware during manufacturing.
- IP Address: Unlike the MAC address or physical/hardware address, the IP address is not assigned by the device manufacturer. The IP address is assigned by network administrators, typically through dynamic assignment (via DHCP) or static assignment. An IP address is a logical address used in the network layer of the OSI model. It identifies devices on a larger network, such as the internet, and allows devices to route data between them. IP addresses can change over time, depending on network configuration, unlike MAC addresses, which remain fixed.
In summary, IP addresses are assigned either manually or dynamically by network services or administrators, not by device manufacturers.