Embedded systems such as networked cameras and networked power distribution devices, which lack a user interface, can use so-called ARP stuffing to make an initial network connection, although this is a misnomer as there is no ARP protocol involved. This is a solution to an issue in network management of consumer devices, specifically the allocation of IP addresses of ethernet devices where 1) the user doesn't have the ability to control DHCP or similar address allocation protocols, 2) the device doesn't have a user interface to configure it, and 3) the user's computer can't communicate with it because it has no suitable IP address.
The solution adopted is as follows: the user's computer has an IP address stuffed manually into its address table (normally with the arp command with the MAC address taken from a label on the device) and then sends special packets to the device, typically a ping packet with a non-default size. The device then adopts this IP address, and the user then communicates with it by telnet or web protocols to complete the configuration. Such devices typically have a method to disable this process once the device is operating normally, as it is open to Denial of Service attack.
Read more about this topic: Address Resolution Protocol
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