Which device is typically identified by a MAC address on its interface?

Which device is typically identified by a MAC address on its interface?

• A. Network Interface Card
• B. Printer
• C. Monitor
• D. Smartphone

Answer: (A)

MAC addresses are unique hardware identifiers assigned to each network interface so devices on a local network can be addressed at the data-link layer. The device that carries this address on its interface is the network interface card—the hardware component that provides Ethernet or Wi‑Fi connectivity. Without a NIC, there isn’t a network interface to assign or use a MAC address. A monitor has no network interface, so it doesn’t present a MAC address. A printer can have a network interface, but the address lives on the interface card itself, which is why the network interface card is the best example of a device identified by a MAC address on its interface.

MAC addresses are unique hardware identifiers assigned to each network interface so devices on a local network can be addressed at the data-link layer. The device that carries this address on its interface is the network interface card—the hardware component that provides Ethernet or Wi‑Fi connectivity. Without a NIC, there isn’t a network interface to assign or use a MAC address. A monitor has no network interface, so it doesn’t present a MAC address. A printer can have a network interface, but the address lives on the interface card itself, which is why the network interface card is the best example of a device identified by a MAC address on its interface.