How to get the MAC Address of another device using its IP address

Question

I want to get the MAC Address of another device using it's IP address,connected to the same network. I have the IP Address of the device.

I want a logic other than using iphlpapi.dll or by running command prompt in C# using arp -a ipaddress .

Answer 1

You Must use the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) in some form since it is designed to be the way to get the physical address of a device from its ip, but you've already ruled out using it from the command line. You might be able to get the results of a previous arp from the system routing tables.

Alternatively you use a pcap wrapper and send your own arp request to the device, this will then respond with it's MAC Address

Answer 2

To get MAC Address from another computer from same network your need to send ARP Request packet with specific IP Address, for example: You want to know MAC Address from IP (192.168.1.20) so your need to create raw packet like this:

Ethernet: Destination: FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF (broadcast address) Source: Your current MAC Address EthType: 0x0806 (ARP Type)

ARP (Ethernet Payload) Hardware Type: 1 (Ethernet) Protocol Type: 0x0800 (IP) Hardware Size: 6 Protocol Size: 4 Opcode: 1 (ARP Request) Sender MAC Address: Your current MAC Address (Same as at Ethernet part) Sender Protocol Address: Your current IP Address Target MAC Address: 00:00:00:00:00:00 (because you don't know target MAC Address yet) Target Protocol Address: 192.168.1.20 (The IP that you want to know about the Mac address)

If the target recieve this packet, target will reply with ARP Reply packet with the MAC Address included.