You must understand MAC addresses assignment if you perform one of the following actions:
Define static Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) entries for IP addresses in the switch
Use a network analyzer to decode network traffic
Each chassis is assigned a base number of MAC addresses with a number reserved for ports and other internal purposes, and the remainder assigned to routable VLANs. The following table identifies the numbers provided by product.
| Product | Base assignment | Reserved | Assigned to routable VLANs | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 5320 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
| 5420 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
| 5520 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
| 5720 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
| 7520 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
| 7720 Series | 1,024 | First 256 | remaining 768 | 
Virtual MAC addresses are the addresses assigned to VLANs. The system assigns a virtual MAC address to a VLAN when it creates the VLAN. The MAC address for a VLAN IP address is the virtual MAC address assigned to the VLAN.