RARP
RARP stands for Reverse Address Resolution Protocol. RARP works opposite of ARP. Reverse Address Resolution Protocol is used to convert MAC address ie. physical address into IP address ie. logical address. RARP provides with a feature for the systems and applications to get their own IP address from a DNS( Domain Name System) or router. This type of resolution is required for various tasks such as executing reverse DNS lookup. As Reverse Address Resolution Protocol works at low level it requires direct network addresses. The reply from the server mostly carries a small information but the 32 bit internet address is used and it does not exploit the full potential of a network such as ethernet.
How Does RARP Work?
- Data is sent between two places in a network using the RARP, which is on the Network Access Layer.
- Every user on the network has two distinct addresses: their MAC (physical) address and their IP (logical) address.
- Software assigns the IP address, and the hardware then builds the MAC address into the device.
- Any regular computer connected to the network can function as the RARP server, answering to RARP queries. It must, however, store all of the MAC addresses’ associated IP addresses. Only these RARP servers are able to respond to RARP requests that are received by the network. The information package must be transmitted over the network’s lowest tiers.
- Using both its physical address and Ethernet broadcast address, the client transmits a RARP request. In response, the server gives the client its IP address.
Difference between ARP and RARP: ARP vs RARP
Network Layer Protocols
Network Layer is responsible for the transmission of data or communication from one host to another host connected in a network. Rather than describing how data is transferred, it implements the technique for efficient transmission. In order to provide efficient communication protocols are used at the network layer. The data is being grouped into packets or in the case of extremely large data it is divided into smaller sub packets. Each protocol used has specific features and advantages. The below article covers in detail the protocols used at the network layer.