Overview
Network stations using the IP protocol need both a physical address and an IP address to transmit a packet. In situations where the station knows only the network host's IP address, the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) enables the network station to determine a network host's physical address by binding a 32-bit IP address to a 48-bit MAC address. A network station can use ARP across a single network only, and the network hardware must support physical broadcasts. If a network station wants to send a packet to a host but knows only the host's IP address, the network station uses ARP to determine the host's physical address. For more information about ARP, see Networking Concepts for the Passport 8000 Series Switch.
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