TCP/IP Network Layer Protocols Section
Address Resolution Protocol
(ARP)
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Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
• Resolves IP address to MAC Addresses
• Finds the hardware address of a host from a know IP address
o And vice versa (RARP)
ARP Command: arp -a
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ARP Diagram
If a computer knows a device’s IP address but not its MAC address, it’ll send a broadcast
message to all devices on the LAN asking which device is assigned that MAC address.
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TCP/IP Network Layer Protocols Section
The Internet Protocol (IP)
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The Internet Protocol (IP)
• An OSI Layer 3 protocol that defines routing and logical addressing of packets
that allow data to traverse WANs and the Internet.
• It specifies the formatting of packets and the logical addressing schema
o IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6
• Its job is to connect different OSI Layer 2 (switched) networks together.
• Provides end-to-end connectivity from one Layer 2 network to another via
routers.
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The Internet Protocol (IP)
• It’s connectionless and, therefore, unreliable (similar to UDP).
o No continued connection.
• Each packet sent is independent of each other packet.
o TCP and other protocols provide a means to reassemble them properly.
o Packets don’t always follow the same path to their destination.
o They’re sent via the most efficient route.
• Doesn’t provide any error recovery or sequencing functionality.
o That’s the job of other protocols.
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TCP/IP Network Layer Protocols Section
Internet Control Message
Protocol (ICMP)
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Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
• OSI Layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) companion “error reporting” protocol within
the TCP/IP suite of protocols.
• Just like IP, it’s connectionless.
• Used to generate error messages to the source IP address when network
issues prevent the delivery of a packet.
• Typically used by routers to report packet delivery issues, and, most
importantly, it can report errors but not correct them.
• Commonly used by IT administrators to troubleshoot network connections
with command-line utilities, including ping, pathping, and traceroute.
• For IPv6, it is also used for:
o Neighbor Solicitation and Advertisement Messages (Similar to ARP)
o Router Solicitation and Advertisement Messages
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(Some) ICMP Message Types
• Echo Request, Echo Reply: Tests destination accessibility and status. A host sends an Echo
Request and listens for a corresponding Echo Reply. Commonly done using the ping
command.
• Destination Unreachable: Sent by a router when it can’t deliver an IP packet.
• Source Quench: Sent by a host or router if it’s receiving too much data than it can handle.
The message requests that the source reduces its rate of data transmission.
• Redirect Message: Sent by a router if it receives a packet that should have been sent to a
different router. The message includes the IP address to which future packets should be
sent and is used to optimize the routing.
• Time Exceeded: Sent by a router if a packet has reached the maximum limit of routers
through which it can travel.
• Router Advertisement, Router Solicitation (IPv6): Allow hosts to discover the existence of
routers. Routers periodically multicast their IP addresses via Router Advertisement
messages. Hosts may also request a router IP address by broadcasting a Router Solicitation
message, then wait for a router to reply with a Router Advertisement.
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