Ethernet Switching

CCNA 1
Module 8
 Need for Switching
• When the number of devices trying to
access the network is low, the number of
collisions stays well within acceptable
limits.
• Bridging was developed to help ease
performance problems that arose from
increased collisions.
• Switching evolved from bridging

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 Layer 2 Bridging/Switching
• A Bridge keeps a table of MAC addresses
and the associated ports. The bridge
then forwards or discards frames based on
the table entries.

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 Bridge Operation

• The bridge has just been started so the bridge table

is empty. The bridge just waits for traffic on the
segment.
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 Bridge Operation

• Host A pings Host B. Since the data is transmitted

on the entire collision domain segment, both the
bridge and Host B process the packet.
• The bridge adds the source address of the frame to 5
its bridge table.
 Bridge Operation

• The destination address of the frame is checked against

the bridge table. The address is not in the table
• Therefore the frame is forwarded to the other segment.
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• The address of Host B has not been recorded yet.
 Bridge Operation

• Host B processes the ping request and transmits a

ping reply back to Host A. The data is transmitted over
the whole collision domain (Host A and the bridge).
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 Bridge Operation

• The bridge adds the frame’s source address to its table.

• Since it received the frame on port 1, the bridge associates
this address with port 1.
• As the destination address is already in the table, and is 8
associated with port 1, the frame is not forwarded out port 2.
 Bridge Operation

• Host A pings Host C. Host B receives but discards

the frame since it was not the intended destination.
• The bridge renews the source address of the frame
to its bridge table. 9
 Bridge Operation

• Since the address is not in the table, the frame is

forwarded to the other segment.
• The address of Host C has not been recorded yet.
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 Bridge Operation

• Host C processes the ping request and replies back to Host A.

• The data is transmitted over the whole collision domain. Host D
discards the frame since it is not the intended destination.
• The bridge adds the source address of the frame to its bridge table.
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• The destination address is associated with Port 1, and is forwarded.
 Bridge Operation

• Host D pings Host C.

• The bridge adds the source address to its bridge table.
• As the destination address is on the same segment, the
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frame is not forwarded out port 1.
 Bridge Operation
• Bridges make decisions based on _____ addresses, or layer
MAC 2
__ addresses.
• Bridges createCOLLISION
_________ domains, which reduce traffic, but
do not affect ________ , or layer
LOGICAL 3 __ addresses.
• The entire network will be part of the same __________
BROADCAST
domain.

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 Layer 2 Switching
• A switch is a multi-port bridge.
• Each port on a switch is in its own collision
domain. A 20 port switch will have 20 collision
domains.
• Increasing the number of collision domains is
known as micro-segmentation.
• A switch builds and maintains a Content-
Addressable Memory (CAM) table, which holds
the MAC information for each port.

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 Switches and CAM
• Most memory devices store and retrieve
data by addressing specific memory
locations.
• In CAM stored data item can be identified
by the content of the data itself rather than
by its address.

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 Layer 2 Switching
• A switch dynamically builds and maintains a
Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) table,
holding all of the necessary MAC information for
each port, using ASICs.
• An Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)
is a device that can be programmed to perform
functions at high speeds.
• Operations that were done in software can now
be done in hardware using an ASIC.
• The use of these technologies greatly reduced
the delays caused by software processing.

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ASIC

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 Full Duplex
• Most switches and most network interface cards (NICs) are capable of
supporting full duplex.
• In full duplex mode, there is no contention for the media.
• Thus, with switched full-duplex transmission there are no collision
domains .
• Theoretically, the bandwidth is doubled when using full duplex.

A Switch:
• Doubles
bandwidth
between nodes
• Collision-free
transmission A switch uses full-
• Two 10 or 100 duplex mode to provide
Mbps data paths full bandwidth
between two nodes on 18
a network.
Switch Benefits

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 Latency

• Latency is the delay between the time a frame

first starts to leave the source device and the
time the first part of the frame reaches its
destination.
• Caused by:
– Media - the time it takes for a signal to move
through the media
– Electronic processing of signal (circuit delay)
– Software switching decisions
– Content of frame – eg reading destination address
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 Switch Modes
• Time is the issue. Users want their
computers to work as fast as possible.
• How a frame is switched to the destination
port is a trade off between latency and
reliability.
• A switch has three different methods it can
used in processing frames.

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 Switch Modes

• Cut-through switching — A switch can start to

transfer the frame as soon as the destination
MAC address is received. This has the lowest
latency.
– There is NO error checking.
• Store-and-forward switching — The switch can
receive the entire frame before sending it out the
destination port. This gives the switch software an
opportunity to verify the frame check sum (FCS).
– Store-and-forward mode must be used for
asynchronous switching.  22
 Symmetric vs. Asymmetric
switching
• Symmetric – the source and destination
ports must have the same bit rate to keep
the frame intact.
• Asymmetric – the bit rates are not the
same, so the frame must be stored at one
bit rate, before it is sent out at the other
bit rate.
– Used with ports of different bandwidths, such
as with a server in a client/server network.
(needed to prevent bottlenecks)
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Symmetric vs. Asymmetric
switching

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Symmetric vs. Asymmetric
switching

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 Switch Modes
• Fragment-free mode – a compromise
between cut-through and store-and-
forward packet switching
– The first 64 bytes are read before it starts to
send the frame out the destination port.
– The CRC and the frame length are verified
before forwarding the frame.

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 Switch Modes

Start of
frame

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Switched LANs
A

Broadcast frame

‘A’ wants to contact ‘B’ but doesn’t know

‘B’s address. So ‘A’ sends a broadcast.
B
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Switched LANs
A

Broadcast frame

Link is down

How can you allow for reliability, so ‘A’ can

still contact ‘B’ before the link is repaired?
B While this might enable ‘A’ to contact ‘B’,
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what problem could this solution cause ?
Switched LANs
A

Broadcast frame

This loop can result in a broadcast storm!

B How can you have the desired redundant30

paths and eliminate the routing loops?
 Switched LANs
• Answer – Spanning Tree Protocol
– This allows for redundant paths without
routing loops.

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 Spanning Tree Protocol
• Loops can occur when extra switches and bridges
are added to provide redundant paths for reliability
and fault tolerance.
• A switch sends special messages called bridge
protocol data units (BPDUs) out all its ports to let
other switches know of its existence.
• The switches use a spanning-tree algorithm (STA)
to resolve and shut down the redundant paths
• The protocol used to resolve and eliminate loops is
known as the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP).

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STP States

STP is used to create a logical

hierarchical tree with no loops.
The alternate paths are still available
if necessary.

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 STP States
STP STA BPDUs Root Bridge
Forwarding Forwarding Forwarding

Blocking Blocking

Designated port Root port 34

Collision Domains

Broadcast Domains

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 Shared Media Environments
• It is important to be able to identify a shared media
environment, because collisions only occur in a shared
environment.

Multiple hosts have access to the

same medium; eg copper, fiber, air

Networking devices extend the

network to accommodate multiple
access or longer cable distances.

One device is connected to only

one other device; eg dialup
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connection
 Collision Domains
• Collision domains are the connected physical
network segments where collisions can occur.
• Collisions cause network inefficiency.

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 The Four Repeater Rule
• The 5-4-3-2-1 rule requires that the
following guidelines should not be
exceeded:
– Five segments of network media
– Four repeaters or hubs
– Three host segments of the network
– Two link sections with no hosts
– One large collision domain

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 Data Collisions

When two bits are propagated at the same

time on the same network, a collision will
occur. 42
 Collisions and Collision
Domains
• When two bits are propagated at the same time
on the same network, a collision will occur.
– They are not inherently bad.
– They are a normal function of Legacy Ethernet.
• Data on the network during a collision is lost
and usually must be retransmitted.
– Increased collisions indicate congestion.
• Collisions affect ALL nodes in a collision
domain.
• Networks with only Layer 1 components are
a single collision domain.
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 Shared Media, Repeaters,
Hubs, and Collision Domains
Created by a hub

Shared access

Extended by a hub
and repeater

Extended by a repeater
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Each is a single collision domain! Extended by a repeater
How many collision domains?

ONE

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How do you solve the problem?

Add a Bridge

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Add a bridge = 2 collision domains

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 Segmentation
• Layer 2 devices segment or divide
collision domains.
• Segmentation makes networks more
efficient and allow data to be transmitted
on different segments of the LAN at the
same time without the frames colliding.

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Ethernet LAN Segmentation

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Segmenting with Bridges

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Segmenting with Switches

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Segmenting with Routers

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 Microsegmentation
Hubs

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Layer 2 Broadcasts = FFF-FFF-FFF-
FFF
• The three sources of broadcasts and
multicasts in IP networks are workstations,
routers, and multicast applications.
– ARP requests
– Routing table updates
– Multicasts to specified IP addresses
• Layer 2 devices must flood all broadcast and
multicast traffic.
• The accumulation of broadcast and multicast
traffic from each device in the network is
referred to as broadcast radiation. 54
 Broadcast Domains?

The only devices that can segment collision domains are

bridges, switches (both Layer 2), and routers (Layer 3).
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2 collision domains
1 broadcast domain

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2 collision domains
1 broadcast domain

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 Data Flow

Data flow refers to the movement of data through

Layer 1, 2 and 3 devices and how data must be
encapsulated to effectively make that journey.58
 Network Segment, what
segment?
• If the segment is used in TCP, it would be
defined as a separate piece of the data.
• If segment is being used in the context of
physical networking media in a routed network, it
would be seen as one of the parts or sections of
the total network.

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 Summary
• Bridges and Switches are layer two
devices. Forward frames after examining
destination MAC address
• Each port of the switch has a separate
collision domain (microsegmentation).
• Small collision domain => less collisions.
• STP is used to prevent loops created by
redundant links.
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 Collision and Broadcast
Domains
• All decisions made by a bridge are based
on the ____ or ______ addressing and do
not affect
MACthe _______
Layer 2 or ___________.
Layer 3 Logical address

• A bridge will create more ____________

Collision domains
but will not add _____________.
Broadcast domains

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Switching/Bridging Table

E0 0260.8c01.1111
E0 0260.8c01.2222
E1 0260.ec01.3333
E1 0260.8c01.4444

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 Fill in the blanks
Bridge Switch

Number of ports
2 Multiple
Number of
collision domains 2 Multiple

Number of
1 1
broadcast
domains
Bridging Table Content-Addressable
Table name memory (CAM)

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How many collision/broadcast
domains?

Collision = 6
Broadcast = 2
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• What impact does a bridge have on
a network?
– Breaks up collision domains
• What happens with switched full-
duplex transmissions?
– No collisions domains
• What is STP and what 2 tasks does
it perform?
– Spanning Tree Protocol
– elect root bridge & decide designated
ports

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 Broadcast Domains
1. A broadcast domain is a grouping of collision
domains that are connected by ________
Layer 2 devices.
2. Smaller collision domains increase the opportunity
for each host in the network to
____________________.
gain access to the media
3. _________ are forwarded by Layer 2 devices and
Broadcasts
if excessive, can reduce the efficiency of the entire
LAN.
4. Broadcasts have to be controlled at Layer __.
3
5. _______ do not forward broadcasts. 
Routers
6. Layer 3 forwarding is based on the destination
__________ and not the MAC address.
IP address 66
 Collision Domains
collision domains
1. Layer 1 devices do not break up _______________.
2. _______ and _______ devices do break up collision domains.
Layer 2 Layer 3
3. Breaking up, or increasing the number of collision domains with Layer 2 and 3
devices is also known as _____________. 
4. Layer 1 devices, such as repeaters and hubs extend segmentation
cable segments so
__________ can be added.
5. More hosts  __________. More traffic  _____________.
more
6. The final hosts
result is diminished _____________________.
more traffic
7. Repeater latency, propagation delay, and NIC latency allmore collisions
contribute to the
________________.
8. Exceeding the four repeater rule can lead network performance
to violating the _____________________.
9. When this delay limit is exceeded, the number of ____________ dramatically
increases.
four repeater rule
10. Late collision frames add delay that is referred to as ____________ delay.

maximum delay limit

late collisions

consumption
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Segmentation
How many collision domains are there? 14
How many broadcast domains are there?4

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 Fill in the blanks
Port Status Purpose

Blocked
Receives BPDUs only
Listening
Building “active” topology
Learning
Create bridge table
Forwarding Sending & receiving
Disable Administrator decided

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 What are the 3 types of shared
media environment?
Type Description

Shared media Multiple hosts, same medium

Extended shared Network devices extended the

media environment

Point-to-point Dialup network

media connections

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• Breaking up collision domains is called
_____________
segmentation
• What would relieve the problems of
excessive collisions?
– Reduce collisions domains & replace hubs
with switches or bridges
• What is the area that controls frame
propagation within that area?
– Collision domain
• What is the only device that breaks up
broadcast domains? Describe how it
works at each layer?
– Routers—do not forward broadcasts
• What does a router use to make
forwarding decisions?
– Destination IP address
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 Fill in the blanks
Layer Name Frame
Switching Rules

Layer 1
Physical Always forwards
frames
Layer 3
Network Will not forward
unless it must

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• Name the four devices above, the layer of the OSI
model they operate at, and the method they base their
addressing on to forward packets on a network.

Bridge layer 2 Frame Router layer 3 Packet

Repeater layer 1 Bits Switch layer 2 Frame

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THAT’S ALL
FOLKS!