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IPv4 - Example

This document describes the steps involved when a user wants to access a website using IPv4. It explains how the user's computer acquires an IP address via DHCP, performs a DNS query to map the domain name to an IP address, and uses ARP to get the gateway's MAC address in order to send the request.

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Sadiqu Zzaman
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views

IPv4 - Example

This document describes the steps involved when a user wants to access a website using IPv4. It explains how the user's computer acquires an IP address via DHCP, performs a DNS query to map the domain name to an IP address, and uses ARP to get the gateway's MAC address in order to send the request.

Uploaded by

Sadiqu Zzaman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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9/8/2021 IPv4 - Example

IPv4 - Example

This chapter describes how actual communication happens on the Network using Internet Protocol
version 4.

Packet Flow in Network


All the hosts in IPv4 environment are assigned unique logical IP addresses. When a host wants to
send some data to another host on the network, it needs the physical (MAC) address of the
destination host. To get the MAC address, the host an broadcasts ARP message and asks to give
the MAC address whoever is the owner of destination IP address. All the hosts on that segment
receive the ARP packet, but only the host having its IP matching with the one in the ARP message,
replies with its MAC address. Once the sender receives the MAC address of the receiving station,
data is sent on the physical media.
In case the IP does not belong to the local subnet, the data is sent to the destination by means of
Gateway of the subnet. To understand the packet flow, we must first understand the following
components −
MAC Address − Media Access Control Address is 48-bit factory hard coded physical
address of network device which can uniquely be identified. This address is assigned by
device manufacturers.
Address Resolution Protocol − Address Resolution Protocol is used to acquire the MAC
address of a host whose IP address is known. ARP is a Broadcast packet which is
received by all the host in the network segment. But only the host whose IP is mentioned in
ARP responds to it providing its MAC address.
Proxy Server − To access the Internet, networks use a Proxy Server which has a public IP
assigned. All the PCs request the Proxy Server for a Server on the Internet. The Proxy
Server on behalf of the PCS sends the request to the server and when it receives a
response from the Server, the Proxy Server forwards it to the client PC. This is a way to
control Internet access in computer networks and it helps to implement web based policies.
Dynamic Host Control Protocol − DHCP is a service by which a host is assigned IP
address from a pre-defined address pool. DHCP server also provides necessary
information such as Gateway IP, DNS Server Address, lease assigned with the IP, etc. By
using DHCP services, a network administrator can manage assignment of IP addresses at
ease.

Domain Name System − It is very likely that a user does not know the IP address of a
remote Server he wants to connect to. But he knows the name assigned to it, for example,
tutorialpoints.com. When the user types the name of a remote server he wants to connect

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9/8/2021 IPv4 - Example

to, the localhost behind the screens sends a DNS query. Domain Name System is a
method to acquire the IP address of the host whose Domain Name is known.
Network Address Translation − Almost all PCs in a computer network are assigned
private IP addresses which are not routable on the Internet. As soon as a router receives
an IP packet with a private IP address, it drops it. In order to access servers on public
private address, computer networks use an address translation service, which translates
between public and private addresses, called Network Address Translation. When a PC
sends an IP packet out of a private network, NAT changes the private IP address with
public IP address and vice versa.
We can now describe the packet flow. Assume that a user wants to access www.TutorialsPoint.com
from her personal computer. She has internet connection from her ISP. The following steps will be
taken by the system to help her reach the destination website.

Step 1 – Acquiring an IP Address (DHCP)


When the user’s PC boots up, it searches for a DHCP server to acquire an IP address. For the
same, the PC sends a DHCPDISCOVER broadcast which is received by one or more DHCP
servers on the subnet and they all respond with DHCPOFFER which includes all the necessary
details such as IP, subnet, Gateway, DNS, etc. The PC sends DHCPREQUEST packet in order to
request the offered IP address. Finally, the DHCP sends DHCPACK packet to tell the PC that it can
keep the IP for some given amount of time that is known as IP lease.
Alternatively, a PC can be assigned an IP address manually without taking any help from DHCP
server. When a PC is well configured with IP address details, it can communicate other computers
all over the IP enabled network.

Step 2 – DNS Query


When a user opens a web browser and types www.tutorialpoints.com which is a domain name and
a PC does not understand how to communicate with the server using domain names, then the PC
sends a DNS query out on the network in order to obtain the IP address pertaining to the domain
name. The pre-configured DNS server responds to the query with IP address of the domain name
specified.

Step 3 – ARP Request


The PC finds that the destination IP address does not belong to his own IP address range and it
has to forward the request to the Gateway. The Gateway in this scenario can be a router or a Proxy
Server. Though the Gateway’s IP address is known to the client machine but computers do not
exchange data on IP addresses, rather they need the machine’s hardware address which is Layer-
2 factory coded MAC address. To obtain the MAC address of the Gateway, the client PC
broadcasts an ARP request saying "Who owns this IP address?" The Gateway in response to the
ARP query sends its MAC address. Upon receiving the MAC address, the PC sends the packets to
the Gateway.

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An IP packet has both source and destination addresses and it connects the host with a remote
host logically, whereas MAC addresses help systems on a single network segment to transfer
actual data. It is important that source and destination MAC addresses change as they travel
across the Internet (segment by segment) but source and destination IP addresses never change.

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