Which term is the permanent hardware address assigned to a network interface card?

• A. MAC Address
• B. MT-RJ Connector Fiber
• C. Mesh Physical Topology
• D. MAN

Answer: (A)

In networking, the hardware identifier that is permanently assigned to a network interface card is the MAC address. This address is typically burned into the NIC and serves as a unique identifier for that device on a local network at the data-link layer. Switches use MAC addresses to forward frames within a LAN, and higher-layer protocols like ARP map IP addresses to these MAC addresses to enable local communication. The other terms describe something different: MT-RJ is a type of fiber optic connector, mesh physical topology is a way devices are interconnected, and MAN stands for metropolitan area network. None of those describe a device’s permanent hardware address, making MAC address the correct choice.