Week 3- Why only switches direct MAC addresses compared to routers?

 Switches are network devices that operate at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and are primarily responsible for directing traffic within a local area network (LAN). They utilize Media Access Control (MAC) addresses to identify devices on the network, enabling efficient data transmission.

The primary reason switches direct MAC addresses is to ensure that data packets are delivered only to their intended destination, thereby minimizing unnecessary traffic and enhancing overall network performance. When a switch receives a data packet, it examines the source MAC address to learn which device sent the packet and updates its MAC address table accordingly. This table maps MAC addresses to specific switch ports, allowing the switch to forward future packets directly to the correct port associated with the destination MAC address.

This method contrasts with routers, which operate at Layer 3 and use IP addresses to route traffic between different networks. While routers are responsible for directing data across multiple networks and can handle varying protocols, switches focus on efficiently managing traffic within a single network segment.

In general, switches direct MAC addresses to optimize data delivery within a LAN, maintain an updated MAC address table for efficient forwarding, and differentiate their function from routers, which handle inter-network communication using IP addresses.

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