What is the primary function of the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) in a network?

Correct option is A

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used to find the MAC address associated with a known IP address. This protocol operates within a local network to match the IP address to a physical address (MAC address), which enables data transmission between devices on the same network.
Important Key Points:
1. Network Communication: ARP facilitates communication between devices by ensuring that IP addresses are matched with correct MAC addresses.
2. Local Network Operation: ARP functions within the local network, as MAC addresses are not used across multiple networks.
3. ARP Table: Devices maintain an ARP table that stores recent IP-MAC address mappings, which reduces repeated ARP requests.
Knowledge Booster:
· Mapping IP to Domain Names: This function is handled by DNS (Domain Name System), not ARP.
· NetBIOS Name Resolution: NetBIOS over TCP/IP uses a different process for resolving names to IP addresses.
· IP to MAC Resolution: ARP does not work in the opposite direction (MAC to IP); it specifically finds MAC addresses for given IP addresses.
· MAC to IP Resolution: Reverse ARP (RARP) was used for this purpose historically but is now largely obsolete.