Message Format of ARP Protocol

Messages are sent to find the MAC address through ARP(address resolution protocol). These messages are broadcast to all the devices in the LAN. The format of this message is being shown in the diagram below :

All the fields given in ARP message format are being explained in detail below:-

• Hardware Type: The size of this field is 2 bytes. This field defines what type of Hardware is used to transmit the message. The most common Hardware type is Ethernet. The value of Ethernet is 1.
• Protocol Type: This field tells which protocol has been used to transmit the message. substantially the value of this field is 2048 which indicates IPv4.
• Hardware Address Length: It shows the length of the tackle address in bytes. The size of Ethernet MAC address is 6 bytes.
• Protocol Address Length: It shows the size of the IP address in bytes. The size of IP address is 4 bytes.
• OP law: This field tells the type of message. If the value of this field is 1 also it’s a request message and if the value of this field is 2 also it’s a reply message.
• Sender Hardware Address: This field contains the MAC address of the device transferring the message.
• Sender Protocol Address: This field contains the IP address of the device transferring the message.
• Target Hardware Address: This field is empty in the request message. This field contains the MAC address of the entering device.
• Target Protocol Address: This field contains the IP address of the entering device.

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is an important protocol that plays an important role in the networking world. When working with your network systems, this protocol helps to identify specified network devices and find their addresses. Its main purpose is to duly transport data packets over the network, allowing them to move between devices connected to your heritage network.

In this article, we will give you with information about the introductory principles of ARP protocol, how it works, and its significance. We’ll also tell you why ARP is important and how it can be used in your networking systems. Through this article, you’ll gain deep knowledge of ARP protocol and make your place in the world of networking.