Is ARP a routable protocol?

Is ARP a routable protocol?

• A. Yes, it is routable
• B. No, this protocol only works for local segments
• C. Only on IPv6
• D. It is always routed via gateways

Answer: (B)

ARP is used to map IPv4 addresses to MAC addresses, but only on the local network segment. It works by broadcasting a request on the local link and having the device with the matching IP respond with its MAC. Routers don’t forward these ARP broadcasts, so ARP information never travels across multiple networks. When a host needs to reach a device on another network, it uses ARP only to learn the MAC of its own gateway on the local segment, and the gateway takes care of forwarding the packet toward the destination. In IPv6, Neighbor Discovery handles address resolution, and that also operates locally rather than across routers. So ARP isn’t routable; it serves address resolution on a single local segment.

ARP is used to map IPv4 addresses to MAC addresses, but only on the local network segment. It works by broadcasting a request on the local link and having the device with the matching IP respond with its MAC. Routers don’t forward these ARP broadcasts, so ARP information never travels across multiple networks. When a host needs to reach a device on another network, it uses ARP only to learn the MAC of its own gateway on the local segment, and the gateway takes care of forwarding the packet toward the destination. In IPv6, Neighbor Discovery handles address resolution, and that also operates locally rather than across routers.

So ARP isn’t routable; it serves address resolution on a single local segment.