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Switch (Network Switch)
A network device that connects devices on a LAN and uses MAC addresses to forward data frames only to the intended destination port.
What is a Network Switch?
A network switch is a device that connects multiple devices on a local area network (LAN) and uses packet switching to forward data to its destination. Unlike hubs, switches intelligently direct traffic only to the specific port where the recipient device is connected.
How Switches Work
Switches operate at Layer 2 (Data Link) of the OSI model:
- Learn MAC addresses by examining source addresses of incoming frames
- Build a MAC address table mapping addresses to ports
- Forward frames only to the appropriate destination port
- Flood unknown destinations to all ports except the source
Types of Switches
- Unmanaged: Plug-and-play, no configuration needed
- Managed: Configurable with features like VLANs and QoS
- Layer 3 Switch: Combines switching with routing capabilities
- PoE Switch: Provides power over Ethernet cables
Key Features
- Full-duplex communication
- Microsecond-level latency
- VLAN support for traffic segregation
- Port mirroring for monitoring
- Link aggregation for bandwidth