Full Form of MAC
Media Access Control
MAC Full Form is Media Access Control. MAC is a hardware address and it’s the lower sub-layer of the second layer out of the seven layers in the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model. This sub-layer of the Data Link Control Layer, uniquely and effectively identifies each node of the related network. MAC sub-layer is the medium through which interface connection, between LLC (Logical Link Control) layer and the network’s physical layer, is successfully established.
It shares the physical connection of the network among several computers over that network. Therefore, each different computer needs different MAC address to stay connected with the network medium. Unicast, multicast or broadcast communication can be provided by the logical multi-point communication channel that is emulated by MAC.
Successful and proper transfer of data in LLC PDUs, control over the physical medium of transmission, error control sequence, recognition and delimitation of related frames, address determination of the single or group destinations — these are the primary and major functions of a MAC layer.
A typical MAC address is 48 bits in length and it is usually presented in the form of the sequence of 12 hexadecimal digits. The first six digits are used to uniquely identify the network adapter manufacturer, while the last six digits represents the serial number assigned to the device. Ethernet is a protocol that typically works at the level of MAC layer.