What happens to runt frames received by a Cisco Ethernet switch?
When a Cisco Ethernet switch receives a runt frame, it performs a specific action based on its configuration.
A runt frame refers to an Ethernet frame that is smaller than the minimum required frame size, which is 64 bytes for Ethernet II and 68 bytes for IEEE 802.3.
By default, a Cisco Ethernet switch discards runt frames to maintain network integrity. Runts are considered abnormal Ethernet frames that may indicate issues such as hardware or transmission errors, collisions, or misconfigured devices.
The switch drops these frames to avoid unnecessary processing and potential network congestion caused by forwarding erroneous or incomplete data.
However, you can change this behavior by reconfiguring the switch’s response to runt frames through the use of certain command-line interface (CLI) commands.
You have the option to enable the forwarding of runt frames under specific circumstances or to allow them for troubleshooting purposes.
It is important to note that enabling the forwarding of runt frames might cause additional CPU and network utilization due to the increased processing required for handling potentially defective frames.
In summary, by default, a Cisco Ethernet switch drops runt frames to maintain network integrity.
However, you can modify this behavior through configuration to suit specific requirements such as troubleshooting or capturing abnormal network traffic.
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