A Media Access Control (MAC) address is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller for communications within a network segment. On devices using Google’s operating system, this identifier plays a role in network connectivity and device identification. For example, a mobile device uses this address to communicate with a Wi-Fi router or other network devices.
Understanding this identifier is important for network administrators when managing device access, troubleshooting connectivity issues, or implementing security protocols like MAC address filtering. Historically, it was primarily used for hardware identification, but its role has expanded with the increasing complexity of networking environments and wireless communication protocols.