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Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 14:53:44 -0800
From: "Atom Powers" <atom.powers@gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: How does my computer work with an empty arp table?
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On 12/3/06, a@zeos.net <a@zeos.net> wrote:
> My computer is connected to ISP via ADSL and works properly.
>
> I typed
>
> arp -a
>
> and saw an empty table, although I pinged successfully an Internet host
> one second ago.

The ARP table is a cache of known ARP<->IP addresses. If there are no
addresses in the ARP table then the system will send out an ARP
broadcast to discover the ARP address that belongs to the IP address.
Of course only the Ethernet hosts on your local network will be in
your ARP table.

-- 
--
Perfection is just a word I use occasionally with mustard.
--Atom Ray Powers--