Understanding Layer 2 Switch Broadcasting and Flooding in Computer Networks

Which action is taken by a Layer 2 switch when it receives a Layer 2 broadcast frame?

When a Layer 2 switch receives a Layer 2 broadcast frame, it performs an action known as flooding or broadcasting the frame.

This means that the switch will forward the received broadcast frame out of all its active ports, except for the port on which it received the frame. By doing so, the switch ensures that all devices connected to it, or on the same LAN segment, will receive the broadcast frame.

The intention behind flooding is to deliver the broadcast frame to all devices within the local network, as the nature of a broadcast is to reach all devices in a LAN. This allows each device to have the opportunity to process or respond to the broadcast message if required.

It is worth noting that Layer 2 switches operate at the data link layer of the OSI model and make forwarding decisions based on the MAC addresses present in the Ethernet frames they receive. When a broadcast frame is received, the switch uses its forwarding table to determine which ports to forward the frame to, except for the port it received it from. In the case of a broadcast frame, the forwarding table does not come into play, and the frame is simply broadcasted out to all active ports.

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