alleryStart learning →How many bits are in an ETHERNET MAC address?
A32 bits, four octets
B48 bits, six octets
C64 bits, eight octets
D128 bits, sixteen octets
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. 48 bits, six octets
1. Ethernet MAC addresses are 48 BITS long, written as 6 hexadecimal octets separated by colons (e.g. 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E).
2. Format: 6 octets, often split as 3 octets for VENDOR (OUI assigned by IEEE) + 3 octets for DEVICE.
3. Special addresses:
- FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF — broadcast
- 01:00:5E:xx:xx:xx — IPv4 multicast
4. Option A is for IPv4. Option D is for IPv6 (full address).
_Source: RFC 1180 "A TCP/IP Tutorial", §3 (Ethernet)._
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