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Chapter 6
Switches
A switch is a Layer 2 network device that acts as the concentration point to connect
workstations, servers, routers, hubs, and other switches.
A hub is an earlier type of concentration device that, like a switch, provides multiple ports.
Hubs are inferior to switches because all devices connected to a hub reside in the same
bandwidth domain, and collisions occur. Also, hubs operate only in half-duplex mode,
which means that they can either send or receive data at any given time.
Switches are multiport bridges and are the standard technology for today’s Ethernet local-
area networks (LANs) that use a star topology. A switch provides a dedicated point-to-
point virtual circuit between two connected networking devices, so no collisions occur.
Switches can operate in full-duplex mode, which means that they can send and receive
data simultaneously. The ability to understand and configure switches is essential for
network support.
LANs span a single room, building, or set of buildings that are close together. A set of
buildings that are on a site and that belong to a single organization are called a campus.
The design of larger LANs is assisted by an approach that identifies the following:
• An access layer that connects end users to the LAN
• A distribution layer that provides policy-based connectivity between end-user LANs
• A core layer that provides the fastest connection between the distribution points
As the scale of a LAN increases to the size of a campus, there is a need for a variety of
LAN switches. Each layer requires switches that are best suited for the tasks of each
specific layer. The features, functions, and technical specifications of each switch vary
depending on which layer they are designed for. Choosing the switches best suited for
each layer ensures the best network performance for LAN users.
Understanding the role of each layer and the switches used in those layers is important for
an effective switched LAN design.

Concept Questions
Demonstrate your knowledge of these concepts by answering the following questions in
the space provided.
1. What is the purpose of using the enable command on a switch, and
what features does this provide for an administrator?

The enable command is used to change from User EXEC mode to Privileged EXEC mode.
Privileged EXEC mode is also recognized by its prompt, which ends in a pound-sign character. The
Privileged EXEC mode command set includes those commands allowed in User EXEC mode, as
well as the configure command through which other command modes are accessed. Because these
modes are used to configure the switch, access to Privileged EXEC mode should be password
protected to prevent unauthorized use.
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2. What are some benefits of using the three-layer Hierarchical Design Model?

Layered models are useful because they facilitate modularity. Since devices at each layer have
similar and well-defined functions, administrators can easily add, replace, and remove individual
pieces of the network. This kind of flexibility and adaptability makes a hierarchical network design
a scalable network design.

Vocabulary Exercise
Define the following terms as completely as you can. Use the online curriculum or Chapter
6 of the Cisco Networking Academy Program CCNA 3 and 4 Companion Guide for help.
Attenuation - Loss of communication signal energy.

Backbone - The structural core of the network, which connects all the components of the network
so that communication can occur.

data link layer - Layer 2 of the OSI reference model. This layer provides reliable transit of data
across a physical link. The data link layer is concerned with physical addressing, network topology,
line discipline, error notification, ordered delivery of frames, and flow control. The IEEE has
divided this layer into two sublayers: the MAC sublayer and the LLC sublayer. Sometimes simply
called link layer. Roughly corresponds to the data link control layer of the SNA model.

Hub - Generally, a device that connects hosts or network devices in a logical star-topology, usually
within a LAN segment. Also called a multiport repeater.

Interface - 1. A connection between two systems or devices. 2. In routing terminology, a network

connection.

network layer - Layer 3 of the OSI reference model. This layer provides connectivity and path
selection between two end systems. The network layer is the layer at which routing occurs.
Corresponds roughly with the path control layer of the SNA model.

Port - An interface on an internetworking device (such as a router). A female plug on a patch panel
that accepts the same size plug as an RJ-45 jack. Patch cords are used in these ports to cross
connect computers wired to the patch panel. It is this cross-connection that allows the LAN to
function.

Switch - A network device that filters, forwards, and floods frames based on the destination
address of each frame. The switch operates at the data link layer of the OSI reference model.

Switching - The process of taking an incoming frame from one interface and delivering it out
through another interface.

Segmentation - The process of splitting a single collision domain into two or more collision
domains in order to reduce collisions and network congestion.

Core Layer - The backbone of the campus switched network. The switches in this layer can make
use of a number of Layer 2 and Layer 3 technologies.
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Distribution layer - The network is located between the access and core layers and helps to define
and separate the core. The purpose of this layer is to provide a boundary definition in which packet
manipulation can take place.

Bandwidth - The difference between the highest and lowest frequencies available for network
signals. Also, the rated throughput capacity of a given network medium or protocol.

Bit - A binary digit used in the binary numbering system. Can be zero or one.

Bridge - A device that connects and passes packets between two network segments that use the
same communications protocol. Bridges operate at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI
reference model. In general, a bridge filters, for-wards, or floods an incoming frame based on the
MAC address of that frame.

bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) - A Spanning-Tree Protocol hello packet that is sent out at
configurable intervals to exchange information among bridges in the network.

Bridging - A technology in which a bridge connects two or more LAN segments.

Broadcast - A data packet that is sent to all nodes on a network. Broadcasts are identified by a
broadcast address.

Byte - A series of consecutive binary digits that are operated on as a unit (for example, an 8-bit
byte).

carrier sense multiple access collision detect (CSMA/CD) - A media-access mechanism wherein
devices ready to transmit data first check the channel for a carrier. If no carrier is sensed for a
specific period of time, a device can transmit. If two devices transmit at once, a collision occurs
and is detected by all colliding devices. This collision subsequently delays retransmissions from
those devices for some random length of time. Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 use CSMA/CD access.

client/server application - An application that is stored centrally on a server and accessed by

workstations, thus making it easy to maintain and protect.

Collision - In Ethernet, the result of two nodes transmitting simultaneously. The frames from each
device collide and are damaged when they meet on the physical medium.

collision domain - In Ethernet, the network area within which frames that have collided are
propagated. Repeaters and hubs propagate collisions; LAN switches, bridges, and routers do not.

Congestion - Traffic in excess of network capacity.

cut-through - A packet-switching approach that streams data through a switch so that the leading
edge of a packet exits the switch at the output port before the packet finishes entering the input
port. A device using cut-through packet switching reads, processes, and forwards packets as soon
as the destination address is looked up and the outgoing port is determined. Also known as on-the-
fly packet switching.

fast-forward switching - Switching that offers the lowest level of latency by immediately
forwarding a packet after receiving the destination address.
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Flooding - When a bridge transmits the datagram on all segments except the source segment.

fragment-free switching - A switching technique that filters out collision fragments, which are the
majority of packet errors, before forwarding begins.

full-duplex Ethernet - A capability for simultaneous data transmission between a sending station
and a receiving station.

half-duplex Ethernet - A capability for data transmission in only one direction at a time between a
sending station and a receiving station.

Latency - The delay between the time a device requests access to a network and the time it is
granted permission to transmit.

memory buffer - The area of memory where the switch stores the destination and transmission
data.

Microsegmentation - The division of a network into smaller segments, usually with the intention
of increasing aggregate bandwidth to network devices.

network interface card (NIC) - A board that provides network communication capabilities to and
from a computer system. Also called an adapter.

Node - An endpoint of a network connection or a junction common to two or more lines in a

network. Nodes can be processors, controllers, or workstations. Nodes, which vary in routing and
other functional capabilities, can be interconnected by links, and serve as control points in the
network. Node is sometimes used generically to refer to any entity that can access a network, and is
frequently used interchangeably with device.

physical layer - Layer 1 of the OSI reference model. This layer defines the electrical, mechanical,
procedural, and functional specifications for activating, maintaining, and deactivating the physical
link between end systems. Corresponds with the physical control layer in the SNA model.

propagation delay - The time required for data to travel over a network from its source to its
ultimate destination. Also called latency.

Queue - 1. Generally, an ordered list of elements waiting to be processed. 2. In routing, a backlog

of packets waiting to be forwarded over a router interface.

Repeater - A device that regenerates and propagates electrical signals between two network
segments.

Focus Questions

1. Which of the following broadcast methods does an Ethernet medium

use to transmit and receive data to all nodes on the network?

A. A packet
B. A data frame
C. A segment
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D. A byte at a time

2. What is the minimum time it takes Ethernet to transmit 1 byte?

A. 100 ns
B. 800 ns
C. 51,200 ns
D. 800 microseconds
3. Characteristics of microsegmentation include which of the following?

A. Dedicated paths between sender and receiver hosts

B. Multiple traffic paths within the switch
C. All traffic visible on network segment at once
D. A and B
4. LAN switches are considered to be which of the following?

A. Multiport repeaters operating at Layer 1

B. Multiport hubs operating at Layer 2
C. Multiport routers operating at Layer 3
D. Multiport bridges operating at Layer 2
5. Asymmetric switching is optimized for which of the following?

A. Client/server network traffic where the “fast” switch port is connected to the
server
B. An even distribution of network traffic
C. Switches without memory buffering
D. A and B
6. In __________ switching, the switch checks the destination address
and immediately begins forwarding the frame, and in __________ switching,
the switch receives the complete frame before forwarding it.

A. Store-and-forward; symmetric
B. Cut-through; store-and-forward
C. Store-and-forward; cut-through
D. Memory buffering; cut-through

7. The Spanning Tree Protocol allows which of the following?

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A. Routers to communicate link states

B. Switches to communicate hop counts
C. Bridges to communicate Layer 3 information
D. Redundant network paths without suffering the effects of loops in the network
8. What is each segment considered to be in a network segmented by switches?

A. Network
B. Campus network
C. Collision domain
D. WAN
9. Which of the following is true of a full-duplex Ethernet switch?

A. Collisions are virtually eliminated.

B. Two cable pairs and a switched connection between each node are used.
C. Connections between nodes are considered point-to-point.
D. All of the above
10. Congestion causes which of the following?

A. Lower reliability and low traffic

B. A high rate of collisions
C. Network unpredictability and high error rates
D. Lower response times, longer file transfers, and network delays
11. Host A transmits to Host B. The communication is such that Host A
stops sending information content packets and then Host B begins sending
packets. Similarly, Host B stops when Host A starts transmitting again. The
transmission type is which of the following?

A. Full-duplex
B. Half-duplex
C. Simplex
D. None of the above

12. Which of the following statements concerning packet forwarding in a LAN is

not true?

A. The store-and-forward packet-switching technique is the one in which frames are

completely processed before being forwarded to the appropriate port.
B. Store-and-forward packet switching is slower than cut-through packet switching.
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C. Cut-through packet switching is also known as on-the-fly packet switching.

D. Buffering is required in cut-through packet switching if the network connection or
link is slow.
13. Which of the following is true of a LAN switch?

A. It repairs network fragments called microsegments.

B. It is a very high-speed multiport bridge.
C. Lower bandwidth makes up for higher latency.
D. It requires new network interface cards on attached hosts.
14. How many collision domains are created by a 16-port LAN switch?

A. One
B. Two
C. Fourteen
D. Sixteen
15. If you create a virtual circuit with LAN switching, what is the result on that
segment?

A. Increased collisions
B. Decreased available bandwidth
C. Increased broadcasts
D. Increased available bandwidth
16. How do switches learn the addresses of devices that are attached to their
ports?

A. Switches get the tables from a router.

B. Switches read the source address of a packet entering through a port.
C. Switches exchange address tables with other switches.
D. Switches cannot build address tables.

17. What is the purpose of symmetric switching?

A. To provide switch connections on ports with the same bandwidths.

B. To make sure the network tables are symmetrical.
C. To provide switched connections on ports with different bandwidths.
D. Switches provide only asymmetric switching.
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CCNA Exam Review Questions

The following questions help you review for the CCNA exam. The answers appear in
Appendix A, “Answers to CCNA Exam Review Questions.”
1. The access layer provides which of the following?

A. The entry point for users and servers into the network
B. The point at which all devices connect to the network
C. All available bandwidth for every user
D. Always uses switches
2. The core layer has which of the following characteristics?

A. It provides as much packet manipulation as possible to ensure security.

B. It operates as a high-speed switching backbone to forward traffic from one area to
another.
C. Only Layer 2 switches must be used in the core.
D. It provides multiple pathways to slow down the traffic.
3. Which of the following are benefits of implementing Layer 3 devices in your
LAN?

A. Allows segmentation of the LAN into unique physical and logical networks
B. Filters data-link broadcasts and multicasts and allows for WAN connectivity
C. Provides logical structure to the network
D. All of the above
4. What device provides logical segmentation of a LAN?

A. Router
B. Bridge
C. Switch
D. Hub
5. Microsegmentation with switches does which of the following?

A. Creates additional broadcast domains

B. Decreases network segments
C. Creates additional collision domains
D. Creates fewer collision domains