(MAC) Media Access Control

Media Access Control (MAC) is a low-level network protocol used to manage access to shared resources on a network. It is responsible for assigning unique hardware addresses to devices connected to a network, and for controlling access to the shared communication channels. The MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to each device on a network and is used to identify the device and its location on the network.

The MAC address is used by the network's data link layer (layer 2) to identify devices on the network, and to route data packets between devices. The MAC address is stored in the device's network interface card (NIC) and is used by the NIC to communicate with other devices on the network.

The MAC address is an important part of the networking infrastructure and is used in many networking protocols, including the Internet Protocol (IP), to ensure the reliable and efficient transfer of data between devices on a network.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address