ARP

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol for mapping an IP address to a hardware MAC address recognized on the network. ARP provides protocol rules for making this correlation and providing address conversion in both directions.

When an incoming packet destined for a host arrives, ARP is used to find a physical host or MAC address that matches the IP address. ARP looks in its ARP cache and, if it finds the address, provides it so the packet can be converted to the right packet length and format and sent to its destination. If no entry is found for the IP address, ARP broadcasts a request packet in a special format on the LAN to see if a device knows it has that IP address associated with it. A device that recognizes the IP address as its own returns a reply indicating it. ARP updates the ARP cache for future reference and then sends the packet to the MAC address that replied.

To define an ARP supported configuration:

1. Select Configuration > Profiles > Network.

2. Expand the Network menu to display its submenu options.

3. Select ARP.

4. Select + Add Row from the lower right-hand side of the screen to populate the ARP table with rows used to define ARP network address information.

   

5. Set the following parameters to define the ARP configuration:

   Switch VLAN Interface	Use the spinner control to select a virtual interface for an address requiring resolution with the controller, service platform or access point.
   IP Address	Define the IP address used to fetch a MAC Address recognized on the wireless network.
   MAC Address	Displays the target MAC address subject to resolution. This is the MAC used for mapping an IP address to a MAC address recognized on the network.
   Device Type	Specify the device type the ARP entry supports. Host is the default setting.

6. To add additional ARP settings select + Add Row and enter the configuration information.

7. Select the OK button located at the bottom right of the screen to save the changes to the ARP configuration. Select Reset to revert to the last saved configuration.