Switches

• A network switch is a small hardware device that join multiple computer together


• It is a multiport bridge with greater efficiency


• the switch has a buffer for each link


• When it receives a packet,first it stores in buffer and checks the address in the table and it sent through outgoing link
  
  
  
  • 2 types of switches
    
    
    
    • Store and forward
    
    
    • cut through
      

      Store and forward

      
      
    
    
    • In this switch,the frame is stored in the input buffer until the whole packet is received
      

      cut through

      
      
    
    
    • In this switch,the packet is forwarded to output buffer as the destination address is received
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Advantage

• Reduce the number of broadcast domains


• the cost to number of port ratio is best

Disadvantage

• not as good as the router in limiting broadcast