MAC (Media Access Control) refers to the
protocol used to control access to a network's physical medium, such as a wired
or wireless network. It is responsible for determining how devices on the
network share the medium and avoid collisions and data corruption.
Each network device has a unique MAC address, which is a 48-bit
identifier assigned by the manufacturer. The MAC address is used to identify a
device on the network, and it is stored in the device's network interface card
(NIC).
When a device wants to send data on the network, it first listens
to the medium to make sure it is not already in use. If the medium is idle, the
device can transmit its data. If the medium is busy, the device waits for a
random amount of time before trying again.
MAC protocols can be implemented in different ways, depending on
the type of network and the specific requirements of the application. Examples
of MAC protocols include CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Detection), used in Ethernet networks, and CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple
Access with Collision Avoidance), used in wireless networks.
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