Computer Networks
(CT 702)
Sharad Kumar Ghimire
Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering
Pulchowk Campus
Institute of Engineering
Tribhuvan University
Nepal
Chapter 4
Network Layer
Contd...
S. K. Ghimire
Contents
Protocols:
● ARP
● RARP
Additional Topics
- S. K. Ghimire
Address Mapping
ARP & RARP
ARP
Used for Mapping Logical to Physical Address
Anytime a host or a router has an IP datagram to send to another host or router, it
has the logical (IP) address of the receiver
The logical (IP) address is known itself or obtained from the DNS if the sender is
the host or it is found in a routing table if the sender is a router
But the IP datagram must be encapsulated in a frame to be able to pass through
the physical network
The sender needs the physical address of the receiver
ARP
The host or the router sends (broadcasts) an ARP query packet, that includes the
physical and IP addresses of the sender and the IP address of the receiver
The intended recipient sends back an ARP response packet
ARP request is broadcast
Response packet contains the recipient's IP and physical addresses is unicast
directly to the inquirer by using the physical address received in the query packet
An ARP request is broadcast; an ARP reply is unicast
ARP reply is unicast
ARP Packet Format
ARP Packet Fields
Hardware type: 16-bit field defining the type of the network on which ARP is
running, e.g. Ethernet is given the type 1
Protocol type: 16-bit field defining the protocol, e.g. the value of this field for the
IPv4 protocol is 0800H
Hardware length: 8-bit field defining the length of the physical address in bytes,
e.g. for Ethernet the value is 6
Protocol length: 8-bit field defining the length of the logical address in bytes, e.g.
for the IPv4 protocol the value is 4
Operation: 16-bit field defining the type of packet, 1 for ARP request & 2 for reply
ARP Packet Encapsulation
An ARP packet is encapsulated directly into a data link frame
For example, an ARP packet is directly encapsulated in an Ethernet frame
Note that the type field indicates that the data carried by the frame are an ARP
packet
Host Configuration
RARP: Reverse Address Resolution Protocol
Used to find the logical address for a machine that knows only its physical address
Each host or router is assigned one or more logical (IP) addresses, which are
unique and independent of the physical (hardware) address of the machine
To create an IP datagram, a host or a router needs to know its own IP address or
addresses
The IP address of a machine is usually read from its configuration file stored on a
disk file
RARP
A diskless machine is usually booted from ROM, with minimum boot information
As the ROM is installed by the manufacturer it cannot include the IP address
because the IP addresses on a network are assigned by the network administrator
The machine has its physical address from its NIC which is unique locally
It can then use the physical address to get the logical address by using the RARP
protocol → a RARP request is created and broadcast on the local network
Another machine on the local network that knows all the IP addresses will respond
with a RARP reply
RARP Packet Format
The format of the RARP packet is the same as the ARP packet
But the operation will be either a RARP Request or RARP Reply
The sender’s hardware address field is padded until filled
RARP
Broadcasting is done at the data link layer
The physical broadcast address, all 1s in the case of Ethernet, does not pass the
boundaries of a network
If an administrator has several networks or several subnets, it needs to assign a
RARP server for each network or subnet
Now RARP is obsolete
Two protocols, BOOTP and DHCP, are replacing RARP
Additional Topics
BOOTP
DHCP
NAT
NPIX
International Authorities
● IANA
● RIR - S. K. Ghimire
Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP)
Client/server protocol designed to overcome some deficiencies of RARP protocol
As a client/server program, the BOOTP server can be anywhere in the Internet
It can provide all pieces of information, including the IP address
When a client requests its IP address, the BOOTP server consults a table that
matches the physical address of the client with its IP address
This implies that the binding between the physical address and the IP address of
the client already exists
The binding is predetermined
BOOTP Client & Server on
same & different networks
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
A client/server protocol designed to provide the configurations for a diskless
computer or any other computer that is booted for the first time
It is a successor to BOOTP and is backward compatible with it
DHCP is more versatile than BOOTP, and it is backward compatible which means
that it can interoperate with BOOTP clients.
Features of DHCP:
● IP addresses are assigned on demand
● Avoid manual IP configuration
● Support mobility of devices
Exchanging messages
DHCP Operation: Client and server on the same network
DHCP Operation: Client and server on two different networks
Network Address Translation (NAT)
Network Address Translation (NAT) Example
Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT)
Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT)
NPIX
International Authorities
IANA
The global coordination of the DNS Root, IP addressing, and other Internet
protocol resources is performed as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA) functions.
Standards organization for
● Global IP address allocation
● Autonomous system number allocation
● Root zone management in DNS
● Internet Protocol related symbols and Internet numbers
Located at Playa Vista, California, United States
Regional Internet Registry (RIR)
African Network Information Center (AFRINIC): Serves Africa
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN): Serves Canada, the United
States, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands
Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC): serves Asia-Pacific regions
Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC): serves Latin
American and Caribbean regions
Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC): serves for
Europe, West Asia, and the former USSR
APNIC (Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre)
One of the world's five Regional Internet address Registry (RIR) and is part of the
Number Resource Organization
A not-for-profit, membership-based organization whose Members include Internet
Service Providers, telecommunication providers, data centers, universities, banks,
National Internet Registries, and similar organizations that have their own
networks
APNIC provides numbers resource allocation and registration services that
support the global operation of the Internet
Maintains public whois database
Located at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
