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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

VLAN (Virtual LAN)
A logical grouping of network devices that creates separate broadcast domains on the same physical network infrastructure.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
A protocol for monitoring and managing network devices like routers, switches, servers, and printers remotely.
Overlay Network
A virtual network built on top of an existing physical network, enabling features like container networking and VPNs.
IPv6
The latest version of the Internet Protocol with 128-bit addresses, designed to replace IPv4 and solve address exhaustion.
Network Topology
The physical or logical arrangement of nodes and connections in a computer network, such as star, mesh, ring, or bus configurations.
TCP/IP
The fundamental communication protocol suite of the internet that defines how data is packaged, addressed, transmitted, and received.
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