Which type of address does a switch use to build a MAC address table?

Which type of address does a switch use to build a MAC address table?

• A. Destination MAC address
• B. Source MAC address
• C. IP address
• D. Broadcast address

Answer: (B)

A switch uses the source MAC address to build its MAC address table. When a frame arrives at the switch, the switch examines the source MAC address of the incoming frame and associates that address with the port on which the frame was received. This information is stored in the MAC address table, which enables the switch to effectively forward frames only to the appropriate port, rather than broadcasting it to all ports. By doing this, the switch improves network efficiency and reduces unnecessary traffic. The MAC address table is crucial for a switch's operation, as it allows for efficient forwarding of frames to the correct devices on the network. By learning where devices are located based on the source addresses, the switch builds a dynamic mapping of addresses to ports, facilitating faster and more efficient data transmission. In contrast, other address types such as destination MAC addresses and broadcast addresses are used differently in networking. The destination MAC address is relevant for determining where to send a frame after the MAC address table has been consulted. An IP address, belonging to a different layer of the OSI model (Layer 3), is not used by switches to build the MAC address table. The broadcast address serves a specific purpose of sending frames to all devices on the local network segment, but it does not assist the

A switch uses the source MAC address to build its MAC address table. When a frame arrives at the switch, the switch examines the source MAC address of the incoming frame and associates that address with the port on which the frame was received. This information is stored in the MAC address table, which enables the switch to effectively forward frames only to the appropriate port, rather than broadcasting it to all ports. By doing this, the switch improves network efficiency and reduces unnecessary traffic.

The MAC address table is crucial for a switch's operation, as it allows for efficient forwarding of frames to the correct devices on the network. By learning where devices are located based on the source addresses, the switch builds a dynamic mapping of addresses to ports, facilitating faster and more efficient data transmission.

In contrast, other address types such as destination MAC addresses and broadcast addresses are used differently in networking. The destination MAC address is relevant for determining where to send a frame after the MAC address table has been consulted. An IP address, belonging to a different layer of the OSI model (Layer 3), is not used by switches to build the MAC address table. The broadcast address serves a specific purpose of sending frames to all devices on the local network segment, but it does not assist the