What does ARP stand for and what is its role in networking?

The term ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol, and it plays a crucial role in networking by converting IP addresses into MAC (Media Access Control) addresses. This is essential because, in a local network, devices communicate using MAC addresses, but higher-level protocols, such as IP, use IP addresses for routing and addressing.

When a device wants to communicate with another device on the same local network, it needs to know the MAC address associated with the intended receiver’s IP address. ARP facilitates this by broadcasting an ARP request onto the network, asking "Who has this IP address?". The device with the corresponding IP address will respond with its MAC address. As a result, ARP is fundamental in ensuring that data packets can be properly delivered to the correct physical device on the network, thereby enabling efficient communication.

The other options do not correctly describe ARP's function. For example, while resolving domain names is part of the DNS (Domain Name System) function, ARP specifically deals with IP-to-MAC address resolution, which makes option C distinctly accurate.