What is ARP?
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a protocol used to find the MAC address associated with a given IP address on a network.
In Simple Terms
- ARP is a method to determine the MAC address of a device when you know its IP address.
- It is essentially a protocol that specifies how to translate IP addresses into MAC addresses.
Detailed Explanation
- IP Address: A unique identifier for a device on a network, like “198.51.100.2”.
- MAC Address: A hardware address assigned to a network interface, used for data transfer on the local network.
ARP works as follows:
- When a device needs to send data to another device on the same network, it must know the recipient’s MAC address.
- The device sends out a broadcast request to all devices on the network asking, “Who has this IP address? Please send me your MAC address.”
- The device with the matching IP address responds with its MAC address.
- The requesting device can then use this MAC address to send data to the intended recipient.
Summary
- ARP is used to map an IP address to a MAC address in a network.
- When you encounter “ARP,” think of it as the protocol for finding out which MAC address corresponds to a given IP address.