Comments on: If a MAC address is unique, then why cannot we use MAC address instead of IP address to define a host in a network. http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/itanswers/mac-address-2/ Sun, 19 May 2013 03:14:28 +0000 hourly 1 By: petkoa http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/itanswers/mac-address-2/#comment-62082 petkoa Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:25:01 +0000 #comment-62082 In IPv6 MAC is used as a component of the unique host address: it consists of a network portion used for routing, which is passed to the host by DHCP server, and a “MAC portion” appended by the host self and broadcasted to the LAN. I’d say, risking to be condemned by IPv6 profets, a situation not very much different from the current IPv4…

BR,

Petko

]]> By: technochic http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/itanswers/mac-address-2/#comment-62056 technochic Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:21:11 +0000 #comment-62056 Excellent points all! The other point is that a MAC address is static and hardcoded to the NIC on the PC and therefore cannot be re-assigned as necessary. Defining a host by IP address is far more flexible of course.

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