If you restart your machine it will default to its original manufacturer’s value. Therefore, an IP address can be permanently changed whereas changing a MAC address is only temporary.

The MAC address is different from an IP address such that it is hardware-oriented whereas an IP address is software-oriented.

In this case, the MAC address acts as a reference manual for networking devices like the router so that these devices know the identity of the other network devices they are communicating with or, in this case, assigning IP addresses. MAC serves a unique role in identifying these network interfaces through system protocols and programs.įor example, through DHCP ( Dynamic Host Control Protocol), a network interface is assigned an IP address by a network router automatically. The wireless and Ethernet network modules are examples of commonly used network interfaces on a Linux operating system. Every network interface on your Linux operating system distribution is associated with a unique number called MAC ( Media Access Control).

Virtual mac on linux