Basis for Comparison | MAC | IP |
---|---|---|
Full Form | Media Access Control Address. | Internet Protocol Address. |
Purpose | It identifies the physical address of a computer on the internet. | It identifies connection of a computer on the internet. |
Bits | It is 48 bits (6 bytes) hexadecimal address. | IPv4 is a 32-bit (4 bytes) address, and IPv6 is a 128-bits (16 bytes) address. |
Address | MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer of NIC card. | IP address is assigned by the network administrator or Internet Service Provider. |
Retrieve Address | ARP protocol can retrieve MAC address of a device. | RARP protocol can retrieve IP address of a device. |