Which of the following network devices extracts the destination address from the data packet and looks it up in a table to see where to send the packet and sends signals only to selected devices?

Correct option is A

A Switch is a network device that operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. When it receives a data packet, it performs the following actions:

• Extracts the destination MAC address from the packet.
• Looks up the MAC address table to identify the port associated with the destination device.
• Sends the signal only to the specific port leading to the destination device, not to all devices on the network.

Important Key Points

1. Switch uses a MAC address table to make forwarding decisions.
2. It minimizes network congestion compared to a hub.
3. Ideal for creating efficient and secure local area networks (LANs).
4. Switches can be unmanaged (plug-and-play) or managed (with configuration options).

Knowledge Booster

• Hub operates at Layer 1 (Physical Layer) and has no intelligence; it sends data to all ports.
• Router uses IP addresses to connect different networks and enable internet access.
• Gateway is often used to connect enterprise networks with external systems, handling complex translation tasks.
• Modern switches may also support Layer 3 features like routing, especially in enterprise networks.