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arping – Test the network by sending ARP protocol packets

The arping command is a Linux utility that allows you to test connectivity on a local network by sending Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests. The ARP protocol is used to map an IP address to a physical or MAC address on a network. The arping command sends an ARP request to a specific IP address and waits for a response. This can be useful for troubleshooting network issues or verifying network connectivity.

Overview

To use the arping command, you will need to specify the IP address you want to test. The syntax for the command is as follows:

arping [options] destination_ip_address

For example, to test connectivity to the IP address 192.168.1.1, you would run the following command:

arping 192.168.1.1

The arping command will send an ARP request to the specified IP address and wait for a response. If a response is received, it will display the MAC address of the device that responded, as well as the response time. If no response is received, it will display a message indicating that the host is unreachable.

Specific use cases

  • Troubleshooting network connectivity issues
  • Checking for duplicate IP addresses on a network
  • Verifying that a device is connected to the network and responding to ARP requests

Options

The arping command has several options that you can use to customize its behavior. The following table lists the available options:

Option Description
-c count Specify the number of packets to send (default is 1)
-w timeout Specify the timeout in milliseconds (default is 1000)
-I interface Specify the network interface to use
-s source_ip_address Specify the source IP address to use
-S source_mac_address Specify the source MAC address to use
-D Enable duplicate address detection mode
-f Enable broadcast mode
-U Enable unicast mode
-V Display the version number and exit
-h Display help information and exit

Troubleshooting tips

If you are not receiving responses to your ARP requests, there are several things you can try:

  • Check that the destination IP address is correct
  • Check that the destination device is powered on and connected to the network
  • Check that there are no network connectivity issues between your device and the destination device
  • Check that there are no firewall rules blocking ARP requests

Notes

  • The arping command requires root privileges to run
  • Some network devices may not respond to ARP requests, even if they are connected to the network
  • The -D option can be useful for detecting duplicate IP addresses on a network
  • The -f option can be useful for testing connectivity to a broadcast address

Related commands