How does a network switch work

• Posted by ravi tejafe March 3, 2022 - Filed in Technology - #telecom  - 111 views

  Once a device is connected to the Switch, the Switch notes the media access control (MAC) address, a code that is baked into the network interface card (NIC) that attaches to an ethernet cable that attaches to the Switch. The Switch uses the Mac address to identify which attached devices are sending out packets and where to deliver the incoming packet. So the MAC address is used to identify the physical device and not the Layer 3 IP address, which can be assigned dynamically.

  A full-duplex means you can talk to someone while sending them something else. A switch does this by reading the headers of incoming packets and matching them to outgoing packets. This makes sure there aren’t any collisions when both devices are trying to send data at the same time.

  A switch provides a physical connection between two or more devices. It allows them to communicate directly with each other without being connected by another device. Switches provide Layer 2 connectivity, meaning they operate at the Data Link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model.

  Switches also provide Layer 3 connectivity, meaning they operate above the Data Link layer. Routers perform this role.

  A switch provides Layer 1 connectivity, meaning it operates at the Physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI Model. Devices such as hubs, bridges, repeaters, and wireless access points are examples of Layer 1 devices.

  More info: What is a network switch