diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac16-address.cc b/src/network/utils/mac16-address.cc
index aab6fb07e..ec9d95bb1 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac16-address.cc
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac16-address.cc
@@ -37,42 +37,18 @@ ATTRIBUTE_HELPER_CPP(Mac16Address);
 
 uint64_t Mac16Address::m_allocationIndex = 0;
 
-Mac16Address::Mac16Address()
-{
-    NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this);
-    memset(m_address, 0, 2);
-}
-
 Mac16Address::Mac16Address(const char* str)
 {
     NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this << str);
-    int i = 0;
-    while (*str != 0 && i < 2)
-    {
-        uint8_t byte = 0;
-        while (*str != ':' && *str != 0)
-        {
-            byte <<= 4;
-            char low = std::tolower(*str);
-            if (low >= 'a')
-            {
-                byte |= low - 'a' + 10;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                byte |= low - '0';
-            }
-            str++;
-        }
-        m_address[i] = byte;
-        i++;
-        if (*str == 0)
-        {
-            break;
-        }
-        str++;
-    }
-    NS_ASSERT(i == 2);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(strlen(str) <= 5, "Mac16Address: illegal string (too long) " << str);
+
+    unsigned int bytes[2];
+    int charsRead = 0;
+
+    int i = sscanf(str, "%02x:%02x%n", bytes, bytes + 1, &charsRead);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(i == 2 && !str[charsRead], "Mac16Address: illegal string " << str);
+
+    std::copy(std::begin(bytes), std::end(bytes), std::begin(m_address));
 }
 
 Mac16Address::Mac16Address(uint16_t addr)
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac16-address.h b/src/network/utils/mac16-address.h
index 6cecc71e9..75299d76e 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac16-address.h
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac16-address.h
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@ class Address;
 class Mac16Address
 {
   public:
-    Mac16Address();
+    Mac16Address() = default;
     /**
      * \param str a string representing the new Mac16Address
      *
+     * The format of the string is "xx:xx"
      */
     Mac16Address(const char* str);
 
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ class Mac16Address
     friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, Mac16Address& address);
 
     static uint64_t m_allocationIndex; //!< Address allocation index
-    uint8_t m_address[2];              //!< address value
+    uint8_t m_address[2]{0};           //!< Address value
 };
 
 ATTRIBUTE_HELPER_HEADER(Mac16Address);
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac48-address.cc b/src/network/utils/mac48-address.cc
index e6ccd90b0..40a7cab13 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac48-address.cc
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac48-address.cc
@@ -36,42 +36,26 @@ ATTRIBUTE_HELPER_CPP(Mac48Address);
 
 uint64_t Mac48Address::m_allocationIndex = 0;
 
-Mac48Address::Mac48Address()
-{
-    NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this);
-    std::memset(m_address, 0, 6);
-}
-
 Mac48Address::Mac48Address(const char* str)
 {
     NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this << str);
-    int i = 0;
-    while (*str != 0 && i < 6)
-    {
-        uint8_t byte = 0;
-        while (*str != ':' && *str != 0)
-        {
-            byte <<= 4;
-            char low = std::tolower(*str);
-            if (low >= 'a')
-            {
-                byte |= low - 'a' + 10;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                byte |= low - '0';
-            }
-            str++;
-        }
-        m_address[i] = byte;
-        i++;
-        if (*str == 0)
-        {
-            break;
-        }
-        str++;
-    }
-    NS_ASSERT(i == 6);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(strlen(str) <= 17, "Mac48Address: illegal string (too long) " << str);
+
+    unsigned int bytes[6];
+    int charsRead = 0;
+
+    int i = sscanf(str,
+                   "%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x%n",
+                   bytes,
+                   bytes + 1,
+                   bytes + 2,
+                   bytes + 3,
+                   bytes + 4,
+                   bytes + 5,
+                   &charsRead);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(i == 6 && !str[charsRead], "Mac48Address: illegal string " << str);
+
+    std::copy(std::begin(bytes), std::end(bytes), std::begin(m_address));
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac48-address.h b/src/network/utils/mac48-address.h
index 0ae7f9542..72fbf7aa4 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac48-address.h
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac48-address.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Address;
 class Mac48Address
 {
   public:
-    Mac48Address();
+    Mac48Address() = default;
     /**
      * \param str a string representing the new Mac48Address
      *
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Mac48Address
     friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, Mac48Address& address);
 
     static uint64_t m_allocationIndex; //!< Address allocation index
-    uint8_t m_address[6];              //!< address value
+    uint8_t m_address[6]{0};           //!< Address value
 };
 
 ATTRIBUTE_HELPER_HEADER(Mac48Address);
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac64-address.cc b/src/network/utils/mac64-address.cc
index 5d354691e..5f073b9bf 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac64-address.cc
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac64-address.cc
@@ -36,42 +36,28 @@ ATTRIBUTE_HELPER_CPP(Mac64Address);
 
 uint64_t Mac64Address::m_allocationIndex = 0;
 
-Mac64Address::Mac64Address()
-{
-    NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this);
-    std::memset(m_address, 0, 8);
-}
-
 Mac64Address::Mac64Address(const char* str)
 {
     NS_LOG_FUNCTION(this << str);
-    int i = 0;
-    while (*str != 0 && i < 8)
-    {
-        uint8_t byte = 0;
-        while (*str != ':' && *str != 0)
-        {
-            byte <<= 4;
-            char low = std::tolower(*str);
-            if (low >= 'a')
-            {
-                byte |= low - 'a' + 10;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                byte |= low - '0';
-            }
-            str++;
-        }
-        m_address[i] = byte;
-        i++;
-        if (*str == 0)
-        {
-            break;
-        }
-        str++;
-    }
-    NS_ASSERT(i == 8);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(strlen(str) <= 23, "Mac64Address: illegal string (too long) " << str);
+
+    unsigned int bytes[8];
+    int charsRead = 0;
+
+    int i = sscanf(str,
+                   "%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x%n",
+                   bytes,
+                   bytes + 1,
+                   bytes + 2,
+                   bytes + 3,
+                   bytes + 4,
+                   bytes + 5,
+                   bytes + 6,
+                   bytes + 7,
+                   &charsRead);
+    NS_ASSERT_MSG(i == 8 && !str[charsRead], "Mac64Address: illegal string " << str);
+
+    std::copy(std::begin(bytes), std::end(bytes), std::begin(m_address));
 }
 
 Mac64Address::Mac64Address(uint64_t addr)
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac64-address.h b/src/network/utils/mac64-address.h
index e1489188d..97d8d2cc4 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac64-address.h
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac64-address.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Address;
 class Mac64Address
 {
   public:
-    Mac64Address();
+    Mac64Address() = default;
     /**
      * \param str a string representing the new Mac64Address
      *
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class Mac64Address
     friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, Mac64Address& address);
 
     static uint64_t m_allocationIndex; //!< Address allocation index
-    uint8_t m_address[8];              //!< address value
+    uint8_t m_address[8]{0};           //!< Address value
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac8-address.cc b/src/network/utils/mac8-address.cc
index e6c8627d1..74e63ab37 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac8-address.cc
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac8-address.cc
@@ -30,11 +30,6 @@ NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE("Mac8Address");
 
 uint8_t Mac8Address::m_allocationIndex = 0;
 
-Mac8Address::Mac8Address()
-{
-    m_address = 255;
-}
-
 Mac8Address::Mac8Address(uint8_t addr)
     : m_address(addr)
 {
diff --git a/src/network/utils/mac8-address.h b/src/network/utils/mac8-address.h
index 07ca00c15..9335d899f 100644
--- a/src/network/utils/mac8-address.h
+++ b/src/network/utils/mac8-address.h
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ class Address;
 class Mac8Address
 {
   public:
-    /** Constructor */
-    Mac8Address();
+    Mac8Address() = default;
     /**
      * Create Mac8Address object with address addr.
      *
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ class Mac8Address
 
   private:
     static uint8_t m_allocationIndex; //!< Address allocation index
-    uint8_t m_address;                //!< The address.
+    uint8_t m_address{255};           //!< The address.
 
     /**
      * Get the Mac8Address type.