How are MAC addresses most commonly represented?

MAC addresses are most commonly represented in a format that uses hyphen-separated hexadecimal pairs. This representation allows for a clear and concise way to denote the unique identifiers for network interfaces. Each octet of the MAC address, which consists of 8 bits, is represented as a two-digit hexadecimal number. By using pairs of hexadecimal digits, the full 48-bit MAC address can be displayed in a more human-readable manner.

For example, a MAC address may appear as 00-14-22-01-23-45, where each pair separated by a hyphen corresponds to a different section of the address. This format is prevalent in network documentation and configuration, making it the standard choice for representing MAC addresses in technical communications.

Other formats like comma-separated binary values, dot-decimal format, or slashed decimal sequences are not standard for MAC address representation and are less commonly used in the context of networking. These alternatives do not provide the same level of clarity or compatibility with industry practices as the hyphen-separated hexadecimal representation does.