What is the name of the protocol that allows a client to send a broadcast…

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:

  1. The client sends a RARP request as a link-layer broadcast containing its MAC address.

  2. 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.