Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!motcsd!hpda!hpcupt1!hprnd!pat
From: pat@hprnd.HP.COM (Pat Thaler)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Ethernet address assignment
Message-ID: <2230048@hprnd.HP.COM>
Date: 12 Jan 90 23:07:56 GMT
References: <1180@m3.mfci.UUCP>
Organization: HP Roseville Networks Division
Lines: 24

> 
> To get a "real" Internet address, just send mail to
> hostmaster@NIC.DDN.MIL asking for information.  They will send you a
> ----------

There is a confusion here between Internet addresses and Ethernet
addresses.  An Ethernet address is an address for the Media Access
Control (MAC) sublayer of the data link layer.  Originally, when
Ethernet was developed, Xerox distributed address blocks together
with licenses to the Xerox Ethernet patents.

All 802 protocols now share a common 48 bit MAC address space.
IEEE has assumed responsibility from Xerox for administering address
distribution.  If you are operating over a LAN, your node is
probably using a global address which was built in when it was
manufactured.  (It could also be using a 48 bit address out of
the local part of the address space or a 16 bit address.)  The
node uses the MAC address to determine which packets on the LAN
are for it and MAC bridges use it to route packets.

The Internet address has nothing to do with the MAC (aka Ethernet)
address.

Pat Thaler