What type of device resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses on a local network?

The process of resolving IP addresses to MAC addresses on a local network is primarily accomplished through ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) broadcasts. When a device wants to communicate with another on the same local network but only knows the destination's IP address, it sends out an ARP request to all devices on the network. This ARP request asks, "Who has this IP address? Please send me your MAC address." Each device on the network receives this broadcast and only the device with the corresponding IP address replies with its MAC address. Thus, the original device can then map the IP address to the MAC address, allowing communication to proceed.

While switches, routers, and layer 3 switches are integral components of network infrastructure, they don’t perform the function of resolving IP addresses to MAC addresses through broadcasts. Switches, for instance, operate primarily at the data link layer to forward frames based on MAC addresses after they have been resolved. Routers facilitate communication between different networks but do not resolve addresses on a single local network. Layer 3 switches also manage IP routing but still rely on ARP broadcasts to map IP to MAC addresses within the same local network. Therefore, ARP broadcasts are the correct mechanism for address resolution at the local network level.