# MAC Address - Four Interfaces with the same MAC Address

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067>\
**Category:** IP Networking\
**Created:** [October 31, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067 "2017-10-31T11:48:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rrodgers](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/rrodgers/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@rrodgers](https://community.unix.com/u/rrodgers)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067/1 "2017-10-31T11:48:10Z")

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four interfaces with ifconfig  
all interfaces have the same mac. If is not set for unique.  
but it still works.  
what difference does it make to have all macs the same or different?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 11:54am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067/2 "2017-10-31T11:54:28Z")

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You should post the full screenshot of the output of your ifconfig command.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rrodgers](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/rrodgers/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@rrodgers](https://community.unix.com/u/rrodgers)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067/3 "2017-10-31T12:29:43Z")

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```nohighlight
intbe1: ether 0:20:e0:76:a1:a2 
intbe2: 
        ether 0:20:e0:76:a1:a2 
intbe3: 
        ether 0:20:e0:76:a1:a2 

```

for example all ether mac addresses are the same. should they all be different?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Corona688](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/corona688/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@Corona688](https://community.unix.com/u/Corona688)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067/4 "2017-10-31T15:51:53Z")

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What are these interfaces? That matters. If three interfaces are configured as a bridge, they might share the same MAC.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/mac-address-four-interfaces-with-the-same-mac-address/369067/5 "2017-10-31T21:53:16Z")

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> [@rrodgers](#):
>
> four interfaces with ifconfig  
> all interfaces have the same mac. If is not set for unique.  
> but it still works.  
> what difference does it make to have all macs the same or different?

You should take a screen shot of the full output of `ifconfig -a` and post the screenshot if you want our help.