Switches are used to interconnect and deliver information to computers on local area networks.

The way a switch operates has implications for network administrators whose job it is to ensure secure and consistent network communication. It is important to observe and understand the function of a switch and how it delivers data on the network. If the MAC address is unknown, then the frame is broadcasted out of all switch ports, except the one from which it came. If the destination MAC address is a known address, then the frame is forwarded out of the corresponding switch port associated with that MAC address. Then the destination MAC address is looked up in the MAC address table. The source MAC address is recorded and mapped to the switch port from which it arrived. When a switch receives a frame from a PC, it examines the frame’s source and destination MAC addresses. This process is called building the MAC address table.

The switch records host MAC addresses that are visible on the network, and maps those MAC addresses to its own Ethernet switch ports. The purpose of a Layer 2 LAN switch is to deliver Ethernet frames to host devices on the local network. Part 2: Examine the Switch MAC Address Table Background / Scenario Last Updated on Januby Admin 5.2.1.7 Lab – Viewing the Switch MAC Address Table Answers Lab – Viewing the Switch MAC Address Table ( Answers Version)Īnswers Note: Red font color or Gray highlights indicate text that appears in the instructor copy only.

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