What is another name for a MAC address?

A MAC address, which stands for Media Access Control address, is indeed commonly referred to as a Burned-In Address (BIA). This term highlights that the MAC address is typically hard-coded or burned into the hardware of the network interface card (NIC) during manufacturing, making it a unique identifier for the device on a local network.

The concept of a BIA emphasizes its role in networking, where the MAC address helps in the proper routing of data at the Data Link layer of the OSI model. Because it is tied to the hardware, the MAC address generally does not change and is used for local network communication, ensuring that data packets reach their intended destination within a local area network.