Networking Fundamentals

LANs using switches

Switches have become the backbone of most organizations' networks, and having an understanding of their functionality is an important skill for any IT support member. Not only do switches allow for greater network segmentation, but they also offer full-duplex communication, making them more efficient.

The following diagram shows a simplified switched network:

Figure 2.20: Switched network

Switches operate by learning which of its ports a particular MAC address is connected to and base their forwarding decisions on this knowledge. We will talk about this learning process in more detail in Chapter 6, Switches and Switching ...