Address Resolution w/ PPP and HDLC

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Hello all, quick question. As we know, a host will use ARP to resolve unknown MAC to known IP on Ethernet. We know basically the same thing happens for frame relay using DLCIs and ATM using PVCs or NSAP addresses. How does address resolution work with PPP or HDLC?

Nate--IRL--

Seems to be IPCP? Internet Protocol Control Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It seems this is used by the layer 2 PPP NCP sub-layer to negotiate IP over PPP.

Nate

chX

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe PPP doesn't use Layer 2 addressing in the same way that Ethernet would. As far as I can tell, the address field in PPP frames is the broadcast address, or "the other side of this link".

The IT Guy

chX,
That is correct. It is also my understanding that address resolution is not neccessary in poin-to-point links for obviouse reasons (directly connected) with only two host on any given ppp link. The PPP header only has one address field and will not behave like ARP/RARP anyway. My point is that you dont need address resolution for two routers sending packets to each other over a PPP link. You will need adress resolution in an ethernet environment where you have many routers sending packets over the same segment. I beleive Odom explains this better in one of his older cisco press books.

MrBrian

I haven't looked into this extensively, but yea I don't think PPP or HDLC need any address resolution mechanisms, like some of the above posters said.

It has to do with the multi-access nature of the Layer 2 protocol such as Ethernet and Frame-Relay.. whereas PPP and HDLC are point to point protocols, so they don't really have anything to resolve. Although I'm not sure what the exact header format is for PPP or HDLC.. so I'm not sure what they're capable of doing other than pap/chap for PPP. If anyone had any further clarification I'd listen

drkat

PPP doesnt do any layer 2 mapping - this is correct. It puts the frame on the wire and wishes it the best of luck.