Know Everything Quiz About Mac Address

The Network Interface Card (NIC) is responsible for providing the computer with a MAC address. A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to the NIC by the manufacturer. It is used to identify the device on a network and is essential for communication between devices. The NIC is a hardware component that connects the computer to a network, allowing it to send and receive data. Therefore, the NIC is the component that provides the computer with a MAC address.

The switch learns MAC addresses by reading each frame and keeping track of the source MAC address. This allows the switch to build a table that associates MAC addresses with the corresponding switch ports. By doing so, the switch can efficiently forward frames to the appropriate destination ports based on the MAC address in the frame.

A switch reads the source and destination MAC addresses of a received frame, looks up the destination in its MAC address table, and forwards the frame out the correct port. This allows the switch to direct the frame to the intended recipient and optimize network performance by only sending the frame to the necessary port, rather than broadcasting it to all ports like a hub would. Routers, repeaters, and hubs do not perform this specific function, making the switch the correct answer.

The use of a switch is preferred over a hub because devices on a hub have to share the available bandwidth, whereas switches are intelligent and can read the frame to determine where to send it. Additionally, switches can operate in full-duplex mode, allowing for simultaneous communication in both directions.

Routers do not forward broadcast packets because broadcast packets are intended to be sent to all devices on a network, and routers are designed to route packets between networks. Instead, routers use a technique called "broadcast suppression" to prevent broadcast packets from being forwarded to other networks. This helps to reduce network congestion and improve overall network performance.

The first 24-bit number in a MAC address represents the organizationally unique identifier for the manufacturer of the device. This identifier is assigned to each manufacturer by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and helps identify the manufacturer of the device. It does not serve as a decryption key, address for multicast packets, or a unique serial number assigned by the manufacturer.

The purpose of the default route is to serve as a destination for all packets that the router does not have specific knowledge about. When a router receives a packet with a destination address that it does not have a specific route for, it will forward the packet to the default route. This allows the router to handle any packets that do not match any specific routes in its routing table, ensuring that they are not dropped or lost.

A switch stores the source MAC address of a frame and the port it was received on in its switching table. This allows the switch to efficiently forward future frames to the correct destination by looking up the MAC address in its table and sending the frame out of the corresponding port. Storing the source MAC address also helps the switch to update its table if the device connected to a particular port changes.

A wireless access point is similar to a hub in that both devices allow computers to send signals through them to communicate with other computers. A hub is a network device that connects multiple devices in a network, allowing them to share information. Similarly, a wireless access point acts as a central connection point for wireless devices, enabling them to communicate with each other and access the network. Both devices serve as a central hub for communication within a network.