IP Routing Features 
Configuring IP Parameters for Routing Switches 
To change the router ID, enter a command such as the following: 
HPswitch(config)# ip router-id 209.157.22.26 
Syntax:  Syntax: ip router-id < ip-addr > 
The < ip-addr > can be any valid, unique IP address. 
Note  You can specify an IP address used for an interface on the HP routing switch, 
but do not specify an IP address in use by another device. 
Configuring ARP Parameters 
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a standard IP protocol that enables an 
IP routing switch to obtain the MAC address of another device’s interface 
when the routing switch knows the IP address of the interface. ARP is enabled 
by default and cannot be disabled. 
How ARP Works 
A routing switch needs to know a destination’s MAC address when forwarding 
traffic, because the routing switch encapsulates the IP packet in a Layer 2 
packet (MAC layer packet) and sends the Layer 2 packet to a MAC interface 
on a device directly attached to the routing switch. The device can be the 
packet’s final destination or the next-hop router toward the destination. 
The routing switch encapsulates IP packets in Layer 2 packets regardless of 
whether the ultimate destination is locally attached or is multiple router hops 
away. Since the routing switch’s IP route table and IP forwarding cache 
contain IP address information but not MAC address information, the routing 
switch cannot forward IP packets based solely on the information in the route 
table or forwarding cache. The routing switch needs to know the MAC address 
that corresponds with the IP address of either the packet’s locally attached 
destination or the next-hop router that leads to the destination. 
For example, to forward a packet whose destination is multiple router hops 
away, the routing switch must send the packet to the next-hop router toward 
its destination, or to a default route or default network route if the IP route 
table does not contain a route to the packet’s destination. In each case, the 
routing switch must encapsulate the packet and address it to the MAC address 
of a locally attached device, the next-hop router toward the IP packet’s 
destination. 
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