#MAC and IP Addresses, and the OSI Model
One of the most advanced concepts in the GCSE Computing course is IP and MAC Addresses; specifically the differences between them and their differing usages. To understand them, it is helpful to learn about the OSI Model of Computer Networking; although this is an A-Level concept it forms the foundations for an understanding of what IP and MAC Addresses are and what they do.
Computer Networks are managed by a series of Protocols. A Protocol can best be thought of as a sort of rulebook. A football team from Brazil can play one from China - although they are geographically distant, they are both following the same Protocol, as such. Here are some of the more well known protocols:
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol, for webpages)
FTP (File Transfer Protocol, for files)