Networking hardware that forwards packets based on hardware address
Avaya ERS 2550T-PWR, a 50-port Ethernet switch
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge[1]) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
A network switch is a multiport network bridge that uses MAC addresses to forward data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Some switches can also forward data at the network layer (layer 3) by additionally incorporating routing functionality. Such switches are commonly known as layer-3 switches or multilayer switches.[2]
Switches for Ethernet are the most common form of network switch. The first MAC Bridge[3][4][5] was invented[6] in 1983 by Mark Kempf, an engineer in the Networking Advanced Development group of Digital Equipment Corporation. The first 2 port Bridge product (LANBridge 100) was introduced by that company shortly after. The company subsequently produced multi-port switches for both Ethernet and FDDI such as GigaSwitch. Digital decided to license its MAC Bridge patent in a royalty-free, non-discriminatory basis that allowed IEEE standardization. This permitted a number of other companies to produce multi-port switches, including Kalpana.[7] Ethernet was initially a shared-access medium, but the introduction of the MAC bridge began its transformation into its most-common point-to-point form without a collision domain. Switches also exist for other types of networks including Fibre Channel, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, and InfiniBand.
Unlike repeater hubs, which broadcast the same data out of each port and let the devices pick out the data addressed to them, a network switch learns the Ethernet addresses of connected devices and then only forwards data to the port connected to the device to which it is addressed.[8]
^IEEE 802.1D
^Thayumanavan Sridhar (September 1998). "Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switch Evolution". cisco.com. The Internet Protocol Journal. Cisco Systems. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
^Stewart, Robert; Hawe, William; Kirby, Alan (April 1984). "Local Area Network Connection". Telecommunications.
^W. Hawe, A. Kirby, A. Lauck, "An Architecture for Transparently Interconnecting IEEE 802 Local Area Networks", technical paper submitted to the IEEE 802 committee, document IEEE-802.85*1.96, San Diego CA, October 1984.
^Hawe, William; Kirby, Alan; Stewart, Robert (1987). Advances in Local Area Networks. IEEE Press. pp. Chapter 28. ISBN 0-87942-217-3.
^US 4597078, "Bridge circuit for interconnecting networks"
^Robert J. Kohlhepp (2000-10-02). "The 10 Most Important Products of the Decade". Network Computing. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
^"Hubs Versus Switches – Understand the Tradeoffs" (PDF). ccontrols.com. 2002. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
A networkswitch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network...
A multilayer switch (MLS) is a computer networking device that switches on OSI layer 2 like an ordinary networkswitch and provides extra functions on...
telecommunications, packet switching is a method of grouping data into packets that are transmitted over a digital network. Packets are made of a header...
Networkswitching subsystem (NSS) (or GSM core network) is the component of a GSM system that carries out call out and mobility management functions for...
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the aggregate of the world's telephone networks that are operated by national, regional, or local telephony...
Circuit switching is a method of implementing a telecommunications network in which two network nodes establish a dedicated communications channel (circuit)...
The Defense SwitchedNetwork (DSN) is a primary information transfer network for the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) of the United States Department...
provide a switching stack for hardware virtualization environments, while supporting multiple protocols and standards used in computer networks. The project's...
variety of networkswitches, wireless controllers, and wireless access points sold by Cisco Systems. While commonly associated with Ethernet switches, a number...
exchange, also known as a telephone switch or central office, is a crucial component in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or large enterprise telecommunications...
protocols. Some networks are able to dynamically change their logical topology through configuration changes to their routers and switches. The transmission...
packet switching to transfer information between computers over a network. Davies pioneered the implementation of the concept. The NPL network, a local...
California. The company designs and sells multilayer networkswitches to deliver software-defined networking (SDN) for large datacenter, cloud computing, high-performance...
A network bridge is a computer networking device that creates a single, aggregate network from multiple communication networks or network segments. This...
A stackable switch is a networkswitch that is fully functional operating standalone but which can also be set up to operate together with one or more...
The Defense Red SwitchNetwork (DRSN) is a dedicated telephone network which provides global secure communication services for the command and control...
Arista Networks and Cisco. Other backers of the VXLAN technology include Huawei, Broadcom, Citrix, Pica8, Big SwitchNetworks, Cumulus Networks, Dell EMC...
a networkswitch to send a copy of network packets seen on one switch port (or an entire VLAN) to a network monitoring connection on another switch port...
can be found in the core or border of a network. Multilayer switch: a switch that, in addition to switching on OSI layer 2, provides functionality at...
connected to the same networkswitch. Because VLAN membership can be configured through software, this can greatly simplify network design and deployment...
two endpoints (e.g. multiple connections between two networkswitches or two ports on the same switch connected to each other). The loop creates broadcast...
most networkswitch manufacturers had included aggregation capability as a proprietary extension to increase bandwidth between their switches. Each manufacturer...
In the computer storage field, a Fibre Channel switch is a networkswitch compatible with the Fibre Channel (FC) protocol. It allows the creation of a...
Jump to CBS Called an Exception : Television: The NBC sitcom's switch to a rival network won't inspire similar moves, a Lorimar executive says". Los Angeles...
A modular switch or chassis switch is a type of networkswitch which can be configured using field-replaceable units. These units, often referred to as...
A fully switchednetwork is a computer network which uses only networkswitches rather than Ethernet hubs on Ethernet networks. The switches provide a...
The Nintendo Switch is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the...
Global Information