arp cache?

[Smizack]

Ok On Winxp, trying to repair a broadband connection I get
"Following steps failed: Flushing ARP Cache"

WTF is that? I rebooted and flushed dns but still get the same message. I don't know the specs of the system but it's a fairley new Dell.

[NWEng]

Your ARP (address resolution protocol) cache is the IP addr to MAC addr cross reference. (Machines don't answer via IP, they respond via their MAC addr.) Typically there's a timeout value that flushes cache entries out after a period of time. Usually, entries are for your local network or for the next hop (like your router) for non-local networks. Some time, go to a DOS prompt and enter 'arp -a' to see what the entries look like. First column is the IP addr, the second column is the associated MAC addr.

DNS is something different, that's a URL/hostname to IP addr cross-reference.


:cool:

[Smizack]

Ok. I've got the mac add entered. (he's a customer) But any idea on what's causing this? Or is it more like Windoze corruption?

[NWEng]

From your description it sounds like it simply failed this step in the process to repair the connection. Although I'm not sure I understand what caused the initial problem or what you did to "repair" the connection. Did you by chance change the NIC in the server?

Is this a recurring problem, as in it continually creates repeated errors in the event log? Or was it a one-time thing that happened during the repair? If it's recurring it could be a WinDOH!s, TCP/IP, or ARP.exe problem. (Unfortunately, I'm Cisco networking and not a server guy.) But I did find some links for you:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3ben-us%3b99150

Or just go out to Microsoft and do a search on "ARP cache", there's a lot out there, I just couldn't find anything specific to the problem. Sorry I couldn't be more help.


:cool:

[NWEng]

Oh, and typically you don't need to add a static ARP entries. ARP broadcasts a request out to the network for the MAC addr for a given IP addr unless it's already in the ARP cache. You can add it, but it's probably not necessary.


;cool:

[Smizack]

Originally posted by NWEng
Oh, and typically you don't need to add a static ARP entries. ARP broadcasts a request out to the network for the MAC addr for a given IP addr unless it's already in the ARP cache. You can add it, but it's probably not necessary.


;cool:

Well it isn't static, that's what boggled me. But after 24 hrs it cleared I guess, it's online now. But I don't know why it wouldn't clear in the first place. Out of hundreds of installs this was a first for me.

Thanks for the help though man.:toast: