Summary

This chapter has provided a brief introduction on layer three to layer two address mapping. The TCP/IP Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) was presented in more detail in order to explain the problem of bridging IP between networks that use different bit ordering. The concept of bit swapping layer two addresses was presented as well. If you are involved in supporting a TCP/IP-based network, you should have a thorough understanding of the material in this chapter.

More information on ARP can be found in the related RFC (RFC 826). See Appendix A, "RFCs," for more information on RFCs and how to obtain them.

Chapter 8, "Hexadecimal and Binary Numbering and IP Addressing," introduces the concepts of binary numbering and hexadecimal numbering. It also provides more information on subnetting IP addresses and other IP address issues.