IP and MAC addresses both identify devices on a network, but they operate at completely different layers and serve different purposes. Mixing them up is one of the most common networking confusions. Here's the clean separation.

The short version

• MAC address: Built into the network hardware (Wi-Fi chip, Ethernet card). Doesn't change as you move networks. Used inside a single network.
• IP address: Assigned by the network. Changes when you move networks. Used to route across the internet.

Analogy: MAC is like your device's serial number. IP is like the room number it's currently sitting in.

What a MAC address looks like

Six pairs of hex digits, like 3C:22:FB:8A:1E:90. The first three pairs identify the manufacturer (Apple, Samsung, Intel). The last three are unique to the device.

What each one is used for

• MAC: Layer 2. How packets find their way between devices on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet segment. Routers and switches use MAC tables.
• IP: Layer 3. How packets find their way across multiple networks (the internet). Routing tables use IPs.

Both layers operate together: data is sent IP-to-IP across the internet, and inside each local hop it's MAC-to-MAC.

Can MAC addresses be changed?

Technically yes — every modern OS supports MAC spoofing. Modern phones (iOS 14+, Android 10+) randomize the MAC per Wi-Fi network by default for privacy. This is why your home router sometimes hands your phone a new local IP — it sees a "new" MAC.

Can someone track you by MAC?

Inside a network, yes — Wi-Fi access points see your MAC. Outside the network, no — MAC addresses don't leave the local segment. Your IP is what crosses the internet. Stores once tracked shoppers via MAC sniffing in Wi-Fi probe requests, which is why MAC randomization became a default privacy feature.

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