6 Ethernet LAN switching

This chapter covers

  • The definition of a LAN
  • The contents of the Ethernet header and trailer
  • How switches learn the MAC addresses of devices in the network
  • How switches forward frames to the appropriate destination
  • How network hosts use ARP to learn the MAC address of other hosts
  • The ping utility

In this chapter, we will cover Ethernet LAN switching, which is the process switches use to forward frames to their proper destinations within a LAN. A frame is a Layer 2 PDU, including the Layer 2 header, trailer, and payload; we covered PDUs in chapter 4. When a network host sends a frame out of its port, it is the switch’s role to make sure the frame reaches its proper destination.

This chapter covers material from domain ...

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