Tcp Ip Protocol Questions Medium
The Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) is a protocol used in the TCP/IP protocol suite to obtain an IP address when only the physical address (MAC address) is known. Its purpose is to allow a device to discover its IP address when it boots up and does not have a preconfigured IP address.
In a typical scenario, when a device starts up, it sends out a broadcast RARP request packet containing its MAC address. The RARP server on the network receives this request and checks its database to find the corresponding IP address for that MAC address. Once the IP address is found, the RARP server sends a unicast RARP reply packet back to the requesting device, providing it with the IP address.
The RARP protocol is primarily used in older systems that do not have the capability to configure IP addresses manually or through other means like Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). It is commonly used in diskless workstations or thin clients that rely on network booting.
Overall, the purpose of RARP is to facilitate the automatic assignment of IP addresses to devices based on their MAC addresses, allowing them to participate in TCP/IP networks without manual configuration.