Gratuitous ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a type of ARP packet that is sent by a device to announce its presence or to update its MAC (Media Access Control) address to other devices on the same network. It’s called “gratuitous” because it is sent without a specific request from any device on the network.

Disabling Gratuitous ARP is not recommended in most cases, as it is an essential feature for maintaining network connectivity and resolving IP addresses to MAC addresses. However, in some cases, you may need to disable Gratuitous ARP for security reasons or to troubleshoot network issues.

To disable Gratuitous ARP on a device running Windows, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R, typing “regedit,” and pressing Enter.
2. Navigate to the following location in the Registry Editor: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
3. Right-click on an empty space in the right-hand pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the new DWORD “ArpRetryCount” (without quotes).
5. Double-click on the ArpRetryCount DWORD and set the Value data to 0.
6. Click OK and exit the Registry Editor.

After disabling Gratuitous ARP, your device will not send gratuitous ARP packets to other devices on the network. However, this may cause connectivity issues and may not be necessary in most cases. It’s recommended to only disable Gratuitous ARP if it’s absolutely necessary and to consult with a network administrator or IT professional before making any changes to network settings.