MAC Address Count Calculator
Count how many MAC addresses lie inclusively between a start and end 48-bit hardware address — useful for OUI blocks and address-range planning.
How it works
Count = (end − start) + 1, treating each MAC as a 48-bit integer
A MAC address is a 48-bit number usually written as twelve hex digits, so counting a range is just integer arithmetic: convert both ends to numbers, subtract, and add one because the range is inclusive of both endpoints. This is how you size an OUI-assigned block or a reserved run of hardware addresses. The full 48-bit space holds 2^48 ≈ 281 trillion addresses, so any practical range is a vanishingly small slice of it.
Worked example
From 00:1A:2B:00:00:00 to 00:1A:2B:00:00:FF, only the last byte varies from 0x00 to 0xFF. The count is 0xFF − 0x00 + 1 = 256 addresses — exactly one 8-bit block within the 24-bit device range of that OUI.
Frequently asked questions
Why add one to the difference?
The range includes both the start and the end address, so a straight subtraction undercounts by one. Adding 1 restores the endpoint — from ...00 to ...FF is 256 values, not 255.
How many MAC addresses exist in total?
A MAC address is 48 bits, giving 2^48 ≈ 281.5 trillion possible values. Manufacturers receive fixed blocks (OUIs) carved from this space by the IEEE, and each block’s size sets how many devices a vendor can address.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.