What is the purpose of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) on an IPv4 local…
2025
What is the purpose of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) on an IPv4 local network?
Answer: C. To resolve an IPv4 address to a MAC address on the local link — Concept: On an IPv4 local link, a host must place an IP packet inside a link-layer frame. Address resolution maps a known network-layer address to the…
- A.
To dynamically assign IP configuration to devices
- B.
To resolve domain names to IP addresses
- C.
To resolve an IPv4 address to a MAC address on the local link
- D.
To control end-to-end network congestion
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Correct answer: C
Concept: On an IPv4 local link, a host must place an IP packet inside a link-layer frame. Address resolution maps a known network-layer address to the link-layer hardware address needed for that frame.
Application: Consider a sender that knows the destination IPv4 address but still needs the destination hardware address for its local Ethernet frame.
The sender first checks its ARP cache for a MAC address associated with the destination IPv4 address.
If no entry exists, the sender broadcasts an ARP request asking which host owns that IPv4 address.
The target host replies with its MAC address, and the sender uses that address as the destination in the local Ethernet frame.
Cross-check and contrast: The neighboring services operate at different stages:
DHCP provides IP configuration such as an address, gateway, and DNS server.
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses.
TCP congestion control adjusts end-to-end sending behavior.
Result: Therefore, ARP resolves a known IPv4 address to the corresponding MAC address on the local link.
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