This interactive lesson explains how network addresses work by using the analogies of street addresses and personal names. Similar to the way your street address changes if you move to a different neighborhood, a device's Internet Protocol address (also called an "IP address" or "logical address") changes when it is moved to a different network. In contrast, your personal name (for example, "Jane Doe") does not change if you move to a different part of town. A device's media access control address (also called a "MAC address" or "physical address") is "burned in" and does not change.

This interactive lesson was made possible by funding from National Science Foundation Grant # DUE 1601612 at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey – PI Mike Qaissaunee, with contributions from Dr. John Sands & Susan Sands of Moraine Valley Community College and Jaime Mahoney of Bunker Hill Community College.

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