Ethernet Network

Data is carried across a local Ethernet network in Ethernet frames.

Ethernet Address

Ethernet frames are used to move data from node to node across the network. The data in the Ethernet frame may just be raw data, but is normally associated with another protocol such as the Internet Protocol (IP), which in turn may carry further protocols such as UDP or TCP.

Different nodes on the same Ethernet network are identified by their MAC address (hardware address). MAC addresses are normally written as 6 octets (8-bit values) separated by a colon. For example 00:12:34:56:78:90. Each node on a local Ethernet network must have a unique MAC address.