The hardware-coded address that uniquely identifies a device's network interface card (NIC) on the local network is called a MAC address. It is “burned in” by the hardware manufacturer and remains constant unless manually overridden.
MAC stands for Media Access Control, and it operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model. It is used to identify devices on a local area network.
A. FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) refers to a human-readable name used in DNS.
B. IP Address is a logical address used for routing at Layer 3.
C. Interface Address is a generic term and not a standard identifier.
D. MAC Address is correct and refers to the physical, hardware-encoded address on an interface.
Extract from MTCNA Course Manual – RouterBOARD Overview:
“A MAC address is a globally unique hardware identifier assigned to each Ethernet or wireless interface. It is used by Layer 2 to ensure local delivery.”
René Meneses Study Guide – MAC & OSI Layering:
“The MAC address is a 48-bit physical identifier, hardcoded by the device vendor and located in the NIC chip.”
Terry Combs MTCNA Notes – Layer 2 Concepts:
“MAC = Physical Address = Layer 2 Identifier. It’s what switches use to forward Ethernet frames.”
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