What is the correct correspondence between IP address and MAC address in a broadcast domain?

Question

Options

• AOne IP address can correspond to multiple MAC addresses
• BOne MAC address can only correspond to one IP address
• COne MAC address can correspond to multiple IP addresses
• DNone of the above

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  9% (3)
• C
  75% (24)
• D
  13% (4)

Explanation

Option C is correct because a single MAC address (tied to one physical network interface) can be assigned multiple IP addresses simultaneously - through IP aliasing, dual-stack configurations (IPv4 + IPv6 on the same NIC), or virtual IP assignments common in servers hosting multiple services.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is wrong because within a broadcast domain, ARP resolves one IP address to exactly one MAC address at any given time - the mapping is one-to-one in that direction.
• B is wrong because it is the reverse of the truth; restricting a MAC to a single IP would prevent common real-world configurations like IP aliasing (e.g., eth0:0, eth0:1 in Linux).
• D is wrong because C is a valid and well-established relationship.

Memory tip: Think of the MAC address as a physical mailbox and IP addresses as different names on the same box. One mailbox (MAC) can receive letters addressed to multiple names (IPs), but each name on the envelope still points to only one physical mailbox location.

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