In this article, we are going to discuss one of the network protocols and we want to see what the ARP protocol is and give you all the necessary information about it. This content is one of those specialized articles that network experts must read and those who are involved in the network in any way should also have information about this topic. In Here, we intend to introduce the ARP protocol, how it works, what its function is, and finally talk a little about its structure. So, join us in this article to learn about one of the important issues of network support.
What do we learn about in this article?
What is ARP?
What is the nature of ARP protocol?
What is the structure of the ARP protocol?
Advantages of the ARP protocol
Disadvantages of ARP protocol
What is ARP?
In order to see what the ARP protocol is, it is necessary to give you a series of explanations first of all. You should know that computer programs use the IP address to exchange messages with each other, which we have already discussed about this address or protocol. Regarding computer networks support and the OSI standard model, the IP address is related to the third layer of the network and the hardware or physical address, which is called MAC Address, points to the second layer. Now the ARP that we are talking about is in charge of finding this MAC address corresponding to an IP Address. For example, when you know the IP address of the destination and want to send data to it, your computer itself finds this MAC address using the ARP protocol and transfers the data.
What is the nature of ARP protocol?
Here we want to see what ARP is and talk more about it. ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol and is a communication protocol for finding the address layer and its link. This protocol is similar to the MAC address in the Internet layer, which uses the IPv4 address in this layer. The ARP protocol was created by combining different technologies at the OSI model, network maintenance and data. As mentioned above, ARP is called the address resolution protocol, namely, a protocol that can be used to find the MAC address of the device connected to the network in the second layer. In simple words, ARP converts IP Address to MAC Address.
In the second layer, there are devices such as hubs and switches, which we have talked about in previous articles. Accordingly, the MAC address is a 48-bit address that is displayed in the form of 6 pairs of numbers in hexadecimal format. Currently, all hardware devices have their own MAC address, and you cannot find any device in the world whose MAC address is the same as another device. This work is not only for better identification of devices, but also help devices easily communicate with each other. This address is also placed in the device by the manufacturer of the corresponding hardware.
What is the structure of the ARP protocol?
In order to know what the structure of ARP is, you must have a better and more appropriate understanding of the network and its layers. Familiarity with the network layers and their protocols is necessary to understand the structure of the ARP protocol. To use this protocol properly, it is necessary to be familiar with the layers and their role in network support. It is also quite important in which layers the linking devices are more active.
You should know that the size of the message used in the ARP protocol depends on the link layer and the size of the network layer. The header of the message that is sent, in the ARP protocol, specifies the types of networks used in each layer, as well as the size of each address. The title of our message is known with the operation code for the request and response as 1 and 2, respectively. Now, the sent package has 4 parts, including IP address, hardware address, host protocol, and recipient destination.
Advantages of ARP protocol
One of the advantages of the ARP protocol is that it helps you to easily find the MAC address of most devices. For this purpose, you need to go to the ARP tables. If you have worked with the OSI model, you must have noticed that to find the MAC address, you must refer to the ARP tables.
After the devices are in place, you can access the MAC addresses of these devices using the ARP protocol. That is why it is necessary to know what ARP is and how it makes communication.
Another advantage of the ARP protocol is that we can use it as an announcement or notice protocol. Accordingly, we use the addresses of other hosts to update the MAC address, and in fact, with this protocol, we send a call to update the MAC address of the devices in the ARP table. This is how we can identify new devices.
It is with ARP that every time a new device is turned on, its update is also done. Today, devices and systems update their network’s ARP protocol information during startup, and with this, these devices can easily communicate with other devices. All kinds of network and hardware support services are performed relying on this protocol.
Disadvantages of ARP protocol
Every good thing has its own drawbacks. After you know what “ARP” protocol is, you should also know that ARP is not all pros and has some cons. In this protocol, there is no system to ensure the validity of the received response. Therefore, this protocol gives validity to every response it receives. Also, another disadvantage is that in this ARP process, the source computer may be subjected to ARP Spoofing or ARP Poisoning attacks. These are malicious attacks that can make many problems.
