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Do switches need MAC addresses?
The basic function of a switch is transparent bridging – for this, it doesn’t need any MAC address of its own. However, if you need to talk to a switch – ie. a managed switch – then that switch requires an address; usually that is a MAC address and an IP address [*].
How do computers send packets?
IP directs packets to a specific computer using an IP address. This is because data sent over the Internet (and most computer networks) are sent in manageable chunks. On the Internet, these chunks of data are known as packets. The packets would go through the Application Layer and continue to the TCP layer.
How does a LAN switch send a packet?
The switch establishes a connection between two segments just long enough to send the current packet. Incoming packets (part of an Ethernet frame) are saved to a temporary memory area (buffer); the MAC address contained in the frame’s header is read and then compared to a list of addresses maintained in the switch’s lookup table.
Where does the MAC address on a switch come from?
A MAC Address is given by the manufacturer and it is embedded in the chip that allows your device to connect to a network. For a network switch, it is likely to have many MAC addresses, since one MAC address is assigned to every interface on the switch.
How are packets saved on an Ethernet switch?
The switch establishes a connection between two segments just long enough to send the current packet. Incoming packets (part of an Ethernet frame) are saved to a temporary memory area ( buffer ); the MAC address contained in the frame’s header is read and then compared to a list of addresses maintained in the switch’s lookup table.
How does a layer 2 switch know where to route packet?
A Layer 2 switch learns most of its information about the location of other endpoints via “listening” to ingressing frames, and when it is not aware of the location, it uses flooding and will learn from the answer. Lets say the topology is: (Host A) <–> (Switch A) <–> (Switch B) <–> (Host B).