Episode 29: Switching Concepts — MAC Address Tables and Frame Forwarding
Switches rely on MAC address tables to forward traffic efficiently, and this episode explains how that process works step by step. You’ll learn how switches build MAC tables by listening to incoming frames and associating source MAC addresses with ports. This enables switches to forward frames directly instead of broadcasting them, improving performance and reducing unnecessary traffic.
We also explore what happens when MAC tables are full or when the destination MAC is unknown. Topics such as frame flooding, aging timers, and unicast vs. broadcast behavior are covered in detail. This episode gives you the insight needed to understand switching logic and to troubleshoot Layer 2 issues effectively.
