What is the ARP Protocol?

ARP stands for “Address Resolution Protocol”. It is a network protocol used to determine the MAC address (hardware address) from any IP address.

In other words, ARP is used to mapping the IP Address into MAC Address. When one device wants to communicate with another device in a LAN (local area network) network, the ARP protocol is used.

This protocol is used when a device wants to communicate with another device over a local area network or ethernet.

ARP is a network layer protocol. This is a very important protocol in the TCP/IP protocol suite. Although it was developed in the early 80s, it was defined in RFC 826 in 1982. ARP is implemented with important technologies like IPv4, X.25, frame relay, and ATM.

ARP protocol finds the MAC address based on IP address. IP address is used to communicate with any device at the application layer. But to communicate with a device at the data link layer or to send data to it, a MAC address is required.

When data is sent to a local host, the data travels between networks via IP address. But to reach that host in LAN, it needs the MAC address of that host. In this situation the address resolution protocol plays an important role.

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.