IP-based forwarding of bridged and routed IP packets and unicast ARP

A network device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory, storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
• receive, from a source host connected to a network, a packet;
• identify, from the packet, an identifier of a destination host;
• determine, from location information stored on the network and based at least in part on the identifier of the destination host, a network location of a second network device connected to the destination host, without reference to a media access control address (MAC address) specified in the packet;
• and
• in response to and based on identifying the second network device from the location information, forward, by the first network device, the packet to the second network device connected to the destination host without reference to the MAC address specified in the packet.

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing instructions which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

• receive, from a source host connected to a network, a packet;
• identify, from the packet, an identifier of a destination host;
• determine, from location information stored on the network and based at least in part on the identifier of the destination host, a network location of a second network device connected to the destination host, without reference to a media access control address (MAC address) specified in the packet;
• and
• in response to and based on identifying the second network device from the location information, forward, by the first network device, the packet to the second network device connected to the destination host without reference to the MAC address specified in the packet.