A device comprising: at least one processor circuit configured to: transmit an address probe request packet comprising a proposed media access control, MAC; address and a device identifier of the device, the address probe request packet being addressed to a multicast address associated with a plurality of devices of a network; determine whether any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address prior to expiration of a probe timer; transmit an address claim packet comprising the proposed MAC address when the probe timer expires before any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address; and communicate over the network using the proposed MAC address after transmitting the address claim packet; characterized in that the at least one processor circuit is further configured to: receive another address probe request packet prior to the expiration of the probe timer, the another address probe request packet comprising the proposed MAC address and another device identifier associated with another device, and the address probe request packet being addressed to the multicast address; determine whether the device has priority over the another device with respect to the proposed MAC address; and transmit a probe reply packet comprising the proposed MAC address and the another device identifier associated with the another device when the device has priority over the another device, otherwise generating another proposed MAC address and transmitting another address probe packet comprising the another proposed MAC address and the device identifier of the device. at least one processor circuit configured to: transmit an address probe request packet comprising a proposed media access control, MAC; address and a device identifier of the device, the address probe request packet being addressed to a multicast address associated with a plurality of devices of a network; determine whether any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address prior to expiration of a probe timer; transmit an address claim packet comprising the proposed MAC address when the probe timer expires before any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address; and communicate over the network using the proposed MAC address after transmitting the address claim packet; characterized in that transmit an address probe request packet comprising a proposed media access control, MAC; address and a device identifier of the device, the address probe request packet being addressed to a multicast address associated with a plurality of devices of a network; determine whether any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address prior to expiration of a probe timer; transmit an address claim packet comprising the proposed MAC address when the probe timer expires before any packets are received that indicate that one of the plurality of devices has claimed the proposed MAC address; and communicate over the network using the proposed MAC address after transmitting the address claim packet; characterized in that the at least one processor circuit is further configured to: receive another address probe request packet prior to the expiration of the probe timer, the another address probe request packet comprising the proposed MAC address and another device identifier associated with another device, and the address probe request packet being addressed to the multicast address; determine whether the device has priority over the another device with respect to the proposed MAC address; and transmit a probe reply packet comprising the proposed MAC address and the another device identifier associated with the another device when the device has priority over the another device, otherwise generating another proposed MAC address and transmitting another address probe packet comprising the another proposed MAC address and the device identifier of the device. receive another address probe request packet prior to the expiration of the probe timer, the another address probe request packet comprising the proposed MAC address and another device identifier associated with another device, and the address probe request packet being addressed to the multicast address; determine whether the device has priority over the another device with respect to the proposed MAC address; and transmit a probe reply packet comprising the proposed MAC address and the another device identifier associated with the another device when the device has priority over the another device, otherwise generating another proposed MAC address and transmitting another address probe packet comprising the another proposed MAC address and the device identifier of the device.