Information on Mac address

To provide a unique hardware address on your network. To make sure they are unique, hardware vendors combine their "own" Hex-numbers with something like a serial number, in hexadecimal too. This way you cna be sure that every network adapter, router, whatever, has a unique address.

Jim

In addition to the last post, assuming we're talking about Ethernet and IP the MAC address is used to communicate with other devices on the ethernet. When one station knows the IP of another, an ARP request is sent to resolve the MAC address so that the stations can communicate over the ethernet. MAC addresses really shouldn't come into play in your network plan unless there is a specific need to do so.

HTH