IP Addressing and MAC Addresses

Active learning works best here because students must see how MAC and IP addresses operate at different network layers, not just memorize their definitions. Hands-on activities let them trace packets and role-play roles, revealing why uniqueness matters and how devices actually communicate.

• Year 8
• Computing
• 4 activities
• 25 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the functions of MAC addresses and IP addresses in network communication.
2. Explain how IP addresses facilitate the routing of data packets across the internet.
3. Predict the network connectivity issues that arise when duplicate IP addresses exist on a local network.
4. Identify the layer of the network model at which MAC and IP addresses operate.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Card Sort: IP vs MAC Comparison

Prepare cards with scenarios, device types, and address examples. In pairs, students sort cards into 'local network (MAC)' or 'internet routing (IP)' piles, then justify choices with evidence from address formats. Discuss as a class to refine understanding.

Prepare & details

Compare the purpose of an IP address and a MAC address.

Facilitation Tip: For the Card Sort, provide pre-printed cards with features like '48-bit length' or 'assigned by DHCP' so students physically group them rather than debate wording.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Network Simulation: Packet Relay

Assign each small group a 'device' with printed IP and MAC cards. Students pass 'data packets' (envelopes) using rules for ARP resolution and routing. Introduce a duplicate IP to observe and log failures.

Prepare & details

Explain how IP addresses enable communication across the internet.

Facilitation Tip: In the Network Simulation, assign students roles such as 'sender,' 'router,' and 'receiver' to make packet relay physically visible, using colored balls to represent frames.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 35 min·Individual

Address Detective: Wireshark Challenge

Provide sample Wireshark captures or simplified logs. Individually, students identify IP/MAC pairs, trace a packet path, and note what happens with address mismatches. Share findings in a whole-class debrief.

Prepare & details

Predict the consequences of two devices having the same IP address on a local network.

Facilitation Tip: During the Address Detective Wireshark Challenge, give students a guided worksheet with MAC and IP columns so they focus on observation, not tool navigation.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

DHCP Role-Play: Address Assignment

One student acts as DHCP server, others as devices requesting IPs. Groups simulate lease times and renewals with props, then introduce conflicts to predict network behaviour.

Prepare & details

Compare the purpose of an IP address and a MAC address.

Facilitation Tip: For DHCP Role-Play, use sticky notes with IPs that must be passed between students in a circle to show dynamic assignment and renewal.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers often begin with analogies, but students learn more when they build the network themselves. Avoid telling them too much upfront; let the activities reveal MACs as hardware fingerprints and IPs as postal codes. Research shows that students grasp layered models better when they experience collisions or dropped frames in real time, so simulations beat slides here.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will confidently explain when to use a MAC versus an IP address, describe how ARP and DHCP bridge their roles, and troubleshoot simple conflicts like duplicate MACs or IP mismatches in simulated networks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Card Sort: IP vs MAC Comparison, watch for students who group both types as 'addresses that change,' suggesting they confuse dynamic IPs with fixed MACs.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the activity and ask groups to sort their cards again using the physical labels 'always the same' for MAC cards and 'can change' for IP cards, referencing the DHCP role-play example of sticky-note IP renewal.

Common Misconception

During Network Simulation: Packet Relay, watch for students who believe a router uses a MAC address to forward packets across the internet.

What to Teach Instead

Have the router student hold up both the MAC address of the local interface and the IP address of the destination, prompting the class to discuss which information is used at each hop.

Common Misconception

During DHCP Role-Play: Address Assignment, watch for students who assume MAC addresses change when a device gets a new IP.

What to Teach Instead

Ask the student holding the MAC sticky note to keep it fixed while receiving a new IP sticky note, then demonstrate ARP to map the two together, making the stability clear.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Card Sort, present two scenarios: one for local delivery and one for global routing. Ask students to hold up the correct address type (MAC or IP) for the first hop and explain why in a one-sentence whisper to a neighbor.

Exit Ticket

After the Network Simulation, ask students to write one difference they observed between MAC and IP addresses during the activity and one consequence of two devices having the same MAC address on the same network.

Discussion Prompt

During the DHCP Role-Play, pause the assignment process and ask: 'What would happen if two laptops in this room had the same MAC address?' Facilitate a brief class discussion before continuing the role-play to test understanding of uniqueness.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to design a network for a small café with five devices, assigning realistic MACs and IPs, then write a troubleshooting guide for when a laptop can’t connect.
• Scaffolding: Provide a blank diagram of a LAN with blanks for MACs and IPs so students fill in only the critical fields for local delivery and routing.
• Deeper: Introduce subnetting basics by having students split a single classroom IP range into two subnets and assign devices accordingly, using ARP to test connectivity between subnets.

Key Vocabulary

MAC Address	A unique, hardware-based identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for communication within a local network segment.
IP Address	A numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication, enabling routing across networks.
ARP	Address Resolution Protocol, a protocol used to discover the MAC address associated with a given IP address on a local network.
DHCP	Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a network management protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices.
Packet	A small segment of data that is transmitted over a network, containing both data and control information including source and destination addresses.