12/08/2025
ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol.
It is a network protocol used to map an IP Address to a MAC Address (physical address) within a local network.
How it works:
1. When a computer wants to send data to another device on the same network, it only knows the target's IP Address.
2. To actually send the data, it needs the target's MAC Address.
3. ARP sends a broadcast message (ARP Request) to the network: "Who has this IP address?"
4. The device with that IP replies with its MAC Address (ARP Reply).
5. The sender now knows the MAC Address and can send the data directly.
Example:
If you want to send data to 192.168.1.5, ARP will find out that the MAC Address is something like 00:1B:44:11:3A:B7, and then your computer uses that MAC to deliver the packet.
