What is the name of the protocol that allows a client to send a broadcast…
2019
What is the name of the protocol that allows a client to send a broadcast message with its MAC address and receive an IP address in reply?
Answer: C. RARP — Correct answer: RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol). What it does: Maps a hardware (MAC) address to an IPv4 address — a client can broadcast its MAC…
- A.
ARP
- B.
DNS
- C.
RARP
- D.
ICMP
Attempted by 622 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Correct answer: RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol).
What it does: Maps a hardware (MAC) address to an IPv4 address — a client can broadcast its MAC and receive an IP address in reply.
How it works:
The client sends a RARP request as a link-layer broadcast containing its MAC address.
A RARP server on the same local network looks up the MAC and responds with the assigned IP address.
Modern context: RARP is now largely obsolete. BOOTP and especially DHCP are used today to assign IP addresses to clients, offering more features and flexibility.
Why the other protocols are incorrect:
ARP maps an IP address to a MAC address (the opposite direction).
DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses and does not use MAC-based broadcasts for assignment.
ICMP is for error messages and diagnostics (for example, ping); it does not perform IP address assignment.
A video solution is available for this question — log in and enroll to watch it.