ARP and Layer 3 Switch
ARP and Layer 3 Switch
I've observed the ARP table on my machine only refreshing for devices connected to the same switch as my computer. On the next switch and the third one, it doesn't display any information. Anyone have an idea why this might happen? All the switches are using VL3 technology.
Yes, there is a network diagram showing PCs connected to Switch 1, which in turn connects to Switch 2 and then Switch 3.
I would assume the standard setting, I couldn't specify I'm brand new just starting out
Layer 3 switches come with PROXY ARP enabled by default, which enhances security by preventing MAC address exposure to other switches. This setup ensures that when SW1 sends an ARP request for I.E 192.168.2.101, SW2 responds with the same address but replaces the device's MAC with its own. Each Layer 3 switch maintains a MAC address for every Int, providing a structured and secure communication environment.
I wouldn't assume this applies to all brands. For instance, HP/Aruba switches don't have this behavior by default—even their most advanced models that support BGP don't exhibit it. What specific model are you referring to? EDIT: I checked the documentation, and for HP/Aruba proxy ARP is turned off by default, which can be activated per VLAN.