Question

Is there a difference between the target MAC address in the ARP section from Deliverable 9 and the destination in the Ethernet header from Deliverable 10? Why is this so?

Option 1:
The MAC addresses are the same; it's a coincidence.

Option 2:
Yes, they are different due to network congestion.

Option 3:
No, MAC addresses are always identical in ARP and Ethernet headers.

Option 4:
Yes, the ARP section uses logical addresses, while Ethernet headers use physical addresses.

Answer 1

The target MAC address in the ARP section and the destination MAC address in the Ethernet header can be different due to the use of logical addresses in ARP and physical addresses in the Ethernet header.

Step-by-step explanation:

The target MAC address in the ARP section is not necessarily the same as the destination MAC address in the Ethernet header. This is because the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is responsible for mapping an IP address to a corresponding MAC address, while the Ethernet header contains the physical MAC address of the destination device.

The ARP section uses logical addresses, such as IP addresses, to determine the MAC address of the target device. The Ethernet header, on the other hand, uses the physical MAC address of the destination device.

For example, in an ARP request, the target MAC address field is typically left blank or set to all zeros, while the destination MAC address in the Ethernet header is set to the broadcast address (FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF) to reach all devices on the network.