🎁 New User? Get 20% off your first purchase with code NEWUSER20 · ⚡ Instant download · 🔒 Secure checkout Register Now →
Menu

Categories

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

Reverse Proxy
A server that sits between clients and backend servers, forwarding client requests and returning server responses on their behalf.
NAT (Network Address Translation)
A method of mapping private IP addresses to public IP addresses, allowing multiple devices to share a single public IP.
Network ACL
A set of rules that control inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet level, acting as a stateless firewall in cloud and enterprise networks.
VLAN (Virtual LAN)
A logical grouping of network devices that creates separate broadcast domains on the same physical network infrastructure.
Multicast
A network communication method that sends data to multiple recipients simultaneously without duplicating packets for each recipient.
Port
A numbered endpoint (0-65535) that identifies specific processes or services on a networked computer for communication.
 View All Networking Terms →