Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)

Index
● Introduction
● Addressing and subnetting
● Routing
● ARP
● IP header
● ICMP protocol
● DHCP protocol
● NAT mechanism
● RIP dynamic routing
● Security notions

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Address Resolution Protocol

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 Address Resolution Protocol
➢ Address Resolution Protocol (MAC)
➢ RFC 826

Network
DATA Source port
It is known which application we
application Destination port
want to dialogue
Transport Source @IP
Destination @IP It is known which host we want to
dialogue
Network
Source @MAC
Destination @MAC
Network
interface FRAME It is not known what is the number
of the destination card of the plot

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 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network

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 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network
➢ Hosts and routers store these resolutions in an ARP table

Lucas Bazilio - Udemy

 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network
➢ Hosts and routers store these resolutions in an ARP table
○ Resolutions consist of associating an @IP with a @MAC

Lucas Bazilio - Udemy

 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network
➢ Hosts and routers store these resolutions in an ARP table
○ Resolutions consist of associating an @IP with a @MAC
○ Each resolution has a lifetime (duration); if a frame with the same
@IP-@MAC association is not received for a while, the resolution is
cleared

Lucas Bazilio - Udemy

 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network
➢ Hosts and routers store these resolutions in an ARP table
○ Resolutions consist of associating an @IP with a @MAC
○ Each resolution has a lifetime (duration); if a frame with the same
@IP-@MAC association is not received for a while, the resolution is
cleared
○ @IPs are assigned by an administrator while @MACs are fixed,
therefore @IPs can change and the resolution in the ARP table must
change

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 Address Resolution Protocol
ARP objective
➢ From an @IP it discovers the @MAC of other devices (hosts or routers) that
belong to the same network
➢ Hosts and routers store these resolutions in an ARP table
○ Resolutions consist of associating an @IP with a @MAC
○ Each resolution has a lifetime (duration); if a frame with the same
@IP-@MAC association is not received for a while, the resolution is
cleared
○ @IPs are assigned by an administrator while @MACs are fixed,
therefore @IPs can change and the resolution in the ARP table must
change

ARP Table Initially the table is empty

Duration Usually 5 or 20 minutes
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 Address Resolution Protocol
Example
● Direct delivery (to a destination in the same network as the origin)

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 Address Resolution Protocol
Problem
● We have to encapsulate the datagram in a frame and know the destination
@MAC

FRAME

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● PC1 consults its ARP table and does not find the resolution
● PC1 sends a broadcast ARP request on its network asking for the @MAC of
@IP 10.0.0.30
ARP Table of PC1
duration

Asks who has the 10.0.0.30

FRAME in
broadcast

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● The ARP request is broadcast, it reaches all the destinations of 10.0.0.0/24
● Everyone reads the ARP and sees if the question is for them.

ARP Table of PC1

duration

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● The questioned is PC3
● Only PC3 updates its ARP table and replies with an ARP reply only to PC1
ARP Table of PC1
ARP Table of PC3
duration
duration

The destination @MAC of

the frame now is known

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● PC1 receives the ARP reply, updates its ARP table
● PC1 can now transmit datagrams to PC3

ARP Table of PC1

ARP Table of PC3
duration
duration

FRAME

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● Example
○ Indirect delivery (the destination is in another network compared to the origin)

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● Problem
○ Encapsulate the datagram in a frame and know the @MAC of the destination of the frame

To whom should the frame be sent?

FRAME
Is it necessary to discover the @MAC of PC3?

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● Problem
○ Encapsulate the datagram in a frame and know the @MAC of the destination of the frame

To whom should the frame be sent?

FRAME
Is it necessary to discover the @MAC of PC3?

Frames do not cross networks, they only serve to

communicate devices on the same network

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● Problem
○ Encapsulate the datagram in a frame and know the @MAC of the destination of the frame

To whom should the frame be sent?

FRAME
The routing table says so!!!
PC1 routing table
Destination/mask interface
It is necessary to send via e0 to
the gateway 10.0.0.1
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 Address Resolution Protocol
● PC1 sends a broadcast ARP request on its network asking for the @MAC of 10.0.0.1
● R1 updates its ARP table with the association of @IP and @MAC of PC1

The @MAC of the gateway

10.0.0.1 is asked

ARP Table of R1
duration

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● R1 answers with an ARP reply
● Contains resolution 10.0.0.1 – AA-00-00-12-34-56
● PC1 updates its table

ARP Table of PC1

Contains the @IP-@MAC
duration resolution of the router
ARP Table of R1
duration

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● PC1 encapsulates the datagram for PC3 in a frame destined for the @MAC of the router

frame is sent to router

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● The router checks the destination @IP and sees from its routing table that the destination
is directly connected to its other network.

The router checks the destination @IP

The frame arrives at

the router

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● The router transfers the datagram to its exit interface
● The router must now add a new frame header to transmit to the destination
● The router checks its ARP table to see if it can find the @MAC of 10.0.1.10

The first time a datagram

arrives for PC3, the router does
not know the @MAC of PC3
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 Address Resolution Protocol
● If this is your first time transmitting to PC3 or too much time has passed since you last
transmitted to PC3, the router should discover the @MAC of PC3
● The router sends an ARP request in broadcast

Datagram waiting

The router asks about the

@MAC of 10.0.1.10
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 Address Resolution Protocol
● PC3 updates its ARP table with the @MAC of the router
● PC3 replies with an ARP reply containing its resolution.

Datagram waiting

R1 ARP Table
duration
Contains the @IP-@MAC
resolution of PC3
PC3 ARP Table

duration
 Address Resolution Protocol
● The router can finally take the waiting datagram, encapsulate it in a frame with
destination PC3 and send it

duration

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● What if there were more intermediate networks?

➔ Same thing
➔ PC1 checks if it has the @MAC of 10.0.0.1 (gateway to PC5) in the ARP table
◆ If it already has it from previous resolutions, it encapsulates the frame and sends
◆ If it does not have it, ARP request and wait for the ARP reply with the response
◆ Encapsulates the datagram in the frame and transmits to router R1

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● What if there were more intermediate networks?

➔ R1 receives the frame, removes the frame header, moves the datagram to its other
network, and checks if it has the @MAC of 10.0.2.2 in its ARP table
◆ If it already has it from previous resolutions, it encapsulates the frame and sends
◆ If it does not have it, ARP request and wait for the ARP reply with the response
◆ Encapsulates the datagram in the frame and transmits to router R2

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 Address Resolution Protocol
● What if there were more intermediate networks?

➔ R2 receives the frame, removes the frame header, moves the datagram to its other
network, and checks if it has the @MAC of 10.0.3.30 (final destination) in your ARP table
◆ If it already has it from previous resolutions, it encapsulates the frame and sends
◆ If it does not have it, ARP request and wait for the ARP reply with the response
◆ Encapsulates the datagram in the frame and transmits to PC5

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 Other ARP functions
● Reverse ARP
○ Find out the destination @IP from @MAC (as opposed to ARP)

● Gratuitous ARP
○ A host sends a broadcast ARP request in this way

Asks who has 10.0.0.10

what is it for?
Find out if PC1's @IP is already busy on the 10.0.0.0/24 network
If someone answers, it means that they have the same @IP as PC1
→ Duplicated @IP !!!
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