ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) Table Configuration
Issue 1 July 2006 173
Figure 30: Building an ARP Table
The ARP Table
The ARP table is used to store recently used pairs of IP/MAC addresses. This saves time and
communication costs, since the host looks in the ARP cache first when transmitting a packet. If
the information is not there, then the host sends an ARP Request (see Figure30).
Station 1 sends ARP Request
Broadcast, specifying IP address of
Station 2
Station 2 receives the broadcast
and identifies its IP address
Station 2 sends an ARP Reply to
Station 1 containing Station 2 MAC
Address
Station 2 updates its ARP table
with the Station 1 address mapping
Station 1 receives the ARP Reply
Station 1 updates its ARP table
with the Station 2 address mapping