Novell, Inc. MAC prefixes: vendor identified; device type unknown
Summary
- // what this is
- Novell is registered to MAC prefix
00:00:D8and 1 more in the IEEE OUI database. When a device's MAC address begins with00:00:D8, that block was registered by Novell — the OUI identifies the maker of the network hardware, which is not always the brand on the device. - // analyst note
- Each listed prefix is 24 bits, leaving 24 suffix bits (16,777,216 possible values per prefix). In each prefix's first byte, the Group and Local bits are zero. These bit values are fixed for the exact prefix; changing either bit changes the matched prefix. Possible suffix values are not an actual device or shipment count. A match indicates the registry assignment only.
About this vendor.
A MAC address beginning with 00:00:D8 or 00:00:1B matches an IEEE MA-L assignment to Novell, Inc.; the prefix alone does not identify a device category. The IEEE records list these two prefixes under the same exact company name, and the supplied first-party material does not map either prefix to a particular product or device.
Both are 24-bit prefixes, leaving 24 bits for the remaining address. For each fixed prefix, the first-byte Group bit and Local bit are zero. A captured address matching one of them therefore has those bit values in its initial byte; changing either bit changes the prefix and no longer matches that exact assignment. RFC 7042 describes the significance of these MAC address bits and prefix structure.
Novell’s supplied company material describes network software and services. It discusses NetWare, IntranetWare, GroupWise, ManageWise and Novell Directory Services in network operating, intranet, messaging, management and directory roles. These are company product descriptions, not evidence that any named product uses either prefix. Each prefix leaves 16,777,216 possible suffix values; this is an address-space count, not a count of devices, deployments or shipments. A prefix match establishes a registry assignment only, not current vendor identity or device safety.
- Registry match
- Novell, Inc. — IEEE MA-L assignment.
- Matching prefixes
00:00:D8and00:00:1B(24 bits each).- Device category
- Unknown; supplied evidence does not link a device category to either exact prefix.
- Interpretation
- Each prefix has 24 suffix bits, or 16,777,216 possible suffix values; this does not indicate actual device count.
- Company
- Novell, Inc. [Confirmed] — https://standards-oui.ieee.org/oui/oui.csv
- Prefixes
00:00:D8,00:00:1B[Confirmed] — https://standards-oui.ieee.org/oui/oui.csv- Device category
- Unknown [Unknown] — https://standards-oui.ieee.org/oui/oui.csv
- Industry
- Networking software and services [Confirmed] — https://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/1996/02/pr96027.html
- Notable products
- NetWare, IntranetWare, GroupWise, ManageWise, Novell Directory Services [Confirmed] — https://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/1996/08/pr96150.html