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	WHAT'S YOUR ENGINEERING QUOTIENT?
Problem 4—Do Ethernet MACs need to be locally unique (within a given LAN) or globally unique? Why? Answer 4 Technically, the MACs only need to be unique within a given LAN. However, since it is impossible to know at the time they're manufactured which devices will be used together on any particular network, they are made globally unique. This is accomplished by making the MAC the combination of an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) assigned by the IEEE and an organizationally unique address (OUA) assigned by the manufacturer. Contributor: Dave Tweed 03-02 — NEXT Q&A For questions or comments about Test Your EQ, e-mail eq@circuitcellar.com.