Address Resolution Protocol

networking, protocol (ARP) A method for finding a host's

Ethernet address from its Internet address. The sender

broadcasts an ARP packet containing the Internet address

of another host and waits for it (or some other host) to send

back its Ethernet address. Each host maintains a cache of

address translations to reduce delay and loading. ARP allows

the Internet address to be independent of the Ethernet address

but it only works if all hosts support it.

ARP is defined in RFC 826.

The alternative for hosts that do not do ARP is constantmapping.

See also proxy ARP, reverse ARP.

(1995-03-20)