When a switch receives an Ethernet frame what does it do if the destination MAC address is a broadcast?

A LAN switch's ultimate role is to forward Ethernet frames. To achieve that goal, switches make decisions based on the source and destination MAC addresses in the Ethernet frames. 

When a switch receives an Ethernet frame what does it do if the destination MAC address is a broadcast?
Figure 1. Ethernet Header Structure

When a switch receives a frame, it follows a set of rules and ultimately makes a decision out of which port or multiple ports to towards the frame. The switch logic can be summarized in a few steps:

  1. Receive an Ethernet frame, examine the source MAC address and update its MAC address table.
  2. Decide where and how to forward the frame based on the destination MAC address.
  3. Forward the frame out single port or forward a copy of the frame out multiple ports, if the frame is either unknown unicast or broadcast one.

Let's start with the process of receiving frames and learning MAC addresses.

Learning MAC addresses

Switches build their MAC address tables by examining the source MAC address of incoming Ethernet frames. When a frame is received on a switch port and the source MAC address is not known, the switch creates a new entry in the MAC table. 

It is important to mention that the term switchport and switch interface are used interchangeably. Also, switch's MAC address table is also called switching table and CAM table (Content-Addressable Memory Table).

Shown in figure 1 is a single-switch topology. The switch hasn't yet created any entries in its MAC address table.

When a switch receives an Ethernet frame what does it do if the destination MAC address is a broadcast?
Figure 2. LAN Switch forwarding frames and learning MAC addresses

The process starts when Client 1 sends an Ethernet frame to Client 4. Let's look closely at each steps the switch takes:

  1. An ethernet frame is received on switchport Gi0/1. Each frame starts with a 7 bytes preamble and 1 byte start frame delimiter (SFD) as shown in figure 1. These first 8 bytes of the frame are used to get the attention of the receiving node. Essentially, they tell the receiving node to get ready to receive a new frame.
  2. The switch examines the source MAC address, which is the physical address of Client 1 - 1111.1111.1111.
  3. The switch then checks this MAC address against its MAC address table. If its is not found in the table, the switch creates a new entry.
  4. Then the switch checks the destination MAC address. If there is an entry in the routing table for this address, then it sends out the frame out that interface.

The switch operations can be summarized in Figure 3.

When a switch receives an Ethernet frame what does it do if the destination MAC address is a broadcast?
Figure 3. Summary of switch operations

 1. Which term is used to describe the process of placing one message format into another format so that the message can be delivered across the appropriate medium?

                flow control

                encapsulation

                encoding

                multicasting

                access method 

2.  Refer to the graphic. What does the router do after it determines that a data packet from Network 1 should be forwarded to Network 2?

                It sends the data packet as it was received.

                It reassembles the frame with different MAC addresses than the original frame.

                It reassembles the data packet with different IP addresses than the original data packet.

                It reassembles both the packet and the frame with different destination IP and MAC addresses.               

3. Which two statements concerning networking standards are true? (Choose two.)

                adds complexity to networks

                encourages vendors to create proprietary protocols

                provides consistent interconnections across networks

                ensures that communications work best in a single-vendor environment

                simplifies new product development               

4. What does the 100 mean when referencing the 100BASE-T Ethernet standard?

                type of cable used

                type of data transmission

                speed of transmission

                type of connector required

                maximum length of cable allowed               

5. Which address does an NIC use when deciding whether to accept a frame?

                source IP address

                source MAC address

                destination IP address

                destination MAC address

                source Ethernet address               

6. Which type of address is used in an Ethernet frame header?

                logical addresses only

                IP addresses only

                MAC addresses only

                broadcast addresses only 

7. What is the function of the FCS field in an Ethernet frame?

                detects transmission errors

                provides timing for transmission

                contains the start of frame delimiter

                indicates which protocol will receive the frame 

8. What is the purpose of logical addresses in an IP network?

                They identify a specific NIC on a host device.

                They are used to determine which host device accepts the frame.

                They provide vendor-specific information about the host.

                They are used to determine the network that the host is located on.

                They are used by switches to make forwarding decisions. 

9. Which device accepts a message on one port and always forwards the message to all other ports?

                modem

                switch

                router

                hub            

10. Which two networking devices are used to connect hosts to the access layer? (Choose two.)

                router

                hub

                switch

                server

                computer           

11. Host A needs to learn the MAC address of Host B, which is on the same LAN segment. A message has been sent to all the hosts on the segment asking for the MAC address of Host B. Host B responds with its MAC address and all other hosts disregard the request. What protocol was used in this scenario?

                ARP

                DHCP

                DNS

                WINS

12. A switch receives a frame with a destination MAC address that is currently not in the MAC table. What action does the switch perform?

                It drops the frame.

                It sends out an ARP request looking for the MAC address.

                It floods the frame out of all active ports, except the origination port.

                It returns the frame to the sender. 

13. What device is typically used as the default gateway for a computer?

                a server hosted by the ISP

                the router interface closest to the computer

                a server managed by a central IT department

                the switch interface that connects to the computer 

14.   Refer to the graphic. Five PCs are connected through a hub. If host H1 wants to reply to a message from host H2, which statement is true?

                H1 sends a unicast message to H2, but the hub forwards it to all devices.

                H1 sends a unicast message to H2, and the hub forwards it directly to H2.

                H1 sends a broadcast message to H2, and the hub forwards it to all devices.

                H1 sends a multicast message to H2, and the hub forwards it directly to H2.            

15. Which table does a router use to make decisions about the interface through which a data packet is to be sent?

                ARP table

                routing table

                network table

                forwarding table            

16. I f the default gateway is configured incorrectly on the host, what is the impact on communications?

                The host is unable to communicate on the local network.

                The host can communicate with other hosts on the local network, but is unable to communicate with hosts on remote networks.

                The host can communicate with other hosts on remote networks, but is unable to communicate with hosts on the local network.

                There is no impact on communications. 

17. What is a benefit of having a router within the distribution layer?

                prevents collisions on a local network

                keeps broadcasts contained within a local network

                controls which hosts have access to the network

                controls host-to-host traffic within a single local network           

18. What type of route allows a router to forward packets even though its routing table contains no specific route to the destination network?

                dynamic route

                default route

                destination route

                generic route            

19. Which two items are included in a network logical map? (Choose two.)

                naming scheme

                IP addressing scheme

                length of cable runs

                physical location of networking devices

                specific layout of interconnections between networking devices and hosts          

20. An integrated router can normally perform the functions of which two other network devices? (Choose two.)

                NIC

                switch

                e-mail server

                application server

                wireless access point

21. What is a reason for disabling simple file sharing?

                It enables the user to map a remote resource with a local drive.

                It enables the user to share all files with all users and groups.

                It enables the user to share printers.

                It enables the user to set more specific security access levels.