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Q & A IP & Network · September 11, 2026

What is a locally administered MAC address?

A MAC where the second-least-significant bit of the first byte is 1. Indicates the address is assigned by software, not a hardware manufacturer. Used for VMs, containers, MAC randomization, and manual overrides. The other bit combinations indicate ‘universally administered’ — assigned by IEEE.

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What Is a MAC Address? Hardware Identifier, OUI, and Privacy Explained
MAC addresses are the physical-layer identifiers that let switches and Wi-Fi access points route Ethernet frames. Every network interface has one, burned in at manufacture. Modern devices randomize MACs to defeat cross-network tracking.
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