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Networking Intermediate

What is ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)?

A protocol that maps IP addresses to physical MAC addresses on a local network segment.

ARP resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses, which are needed for actual data transmission on local networks. When a device needs to communicate with another on the same subnet, it broadcasts an ARP request asking "Who has IP x.x.x.x?"

The device with that IP responds with its MAC address. Results are cached in the ARP table. ARP spoofing is a security attack where a malicious device sends fake ARP responses to redirect traffic.

Related Terms

TCP vs UDP
Two transport layer protocols: TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery while UDP provides fast, connectionless delivery without guarantees.
Multicast
A network communication method that sends data to multiple recipients simultaneously without duplicating packets for each recipient.
Overlay Network
A virtual network built on top of an existing physical network, enabling features like container networking and VPNs.
Network Segmentation
The practice of dividing a network into isolated segments to improve security, performance, and management.
Latency
The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response, measured in milliseconds.
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
The routing protocol that makes the internet work by exchanging routing information between autonomous systems.
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