What does the ARP table in a switch map together?

What does the ARP table in a switch map together?

• A. MAC address to an IP address
• B. Layer 2 address to a Layer 3 address
• C. Layer 3 address to a Layer 2 address
• D. Public IP address to a private IP address

Answer: (C)

The ARP table in a networking context specifically maps a Layer 3 address (IP address) to a Layer 2 address (MAC address). When a device on a local network wants to communicate with another device, it needs to know the MAC address corresponding to the destination device’s IP address. The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used for this purpose, allowing the device to request the MAC address associated with a specific IP address, and in turn, build an ARP table that enables efficient data link layer communication. This mapping process is crucial for the function of local area networks (LANs), as it ensures that data packets can be properly delivered to the correct hardware on the network based on IP addresses, which operate at Layer 3 of the OSI model.

The ARP table in a networking context specifically maps a Layer 3 address (IP address) to a Layer 2 address (MAC address). When a device on a local network wants to communicate with another device, it needs to know the MAC address corresponding to the destination device’s IP address. The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used for this purpose, allowing the device to request the MAC address associated with a specific IP address, and in turn, build an ARP table that enables efficient data link layer communication.

This mapping process is crucial for the function of local area networks (LANs), as it ensures that data packets can be properly delivered to the correct hardware on the network based on IP addresses, which operate at Layer 3 of the OSI model.