Switching Concepts: Master Layer 2 Switching, MAC Addressing, VLANs, and Trunking

Question 1

What is the main function of a Media Access Control (MAC) address in a network?

Accepted Answer

Identify specific devices on the network

Answer

Determine the network path to destinations

Answer

Manage the flow of network traffic

Answer

Convert IP addresses to physical addresses

Question 2

Which characteristic best describes a Layer 2 switch?

Accepted Answer

Operates at the data link layer

Answer

Uses IP addresses for switching

Answer

Supports routing capabilities

Answer

Provides advanced security features

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of Virtual LANs (VLANs) in a network?

Accepted Answer

Isolate network traffic and enhance security

Answer

Increase network bandwidth

Answer

Simplify network management

Answer

Improve network performance

Question 4

What is the key difference between a cut-through and a store-and-forward switch?

Accepted Answer

Cut-through switches forward frames immediately, while store-and-forward switches buffer frames before forwarding.

Answer

Cut-through switches buffer frames before forwarding, while store-and-forward switches forward frames immediately.

Answer

Cut-through switches operate at Layer 3, while store-and-forward switches operate at Layer 2.

Answer

Cut-through switches are typically more expensive than store-and-forward switches.

Question 5

What is the primary function of the spanning tree protocol in a network?

Accepted Answer

Prevent network loops and ensure redundancy

Answer

Configure VLANs and manage network traffic

Answer

Troubleshoot network connectivity issues

Answer

Implement Quality of Service (QoS) policies

Question 6

Which Layer 2 switching technology connects devices within a single network segment?

Accepted Answer

Switching

Answer

Routing

Answer

Bridging

Answer

Filtering

Question 7

What is the primary purpose of a Media Access Control (MAC) address?

Accepted Answer

To uniquely identify a network interface card

Answer

To route traffic between different networks

Answer

To provide security for network devices

Answer

To store user data

Question 8

What is the primary purpose of a switch table in a switching device?

Accepted Answer

To store and maintain a mapping of MAC addresses to corresponding ports

Answer

To store and maintain a mapping of IP addresses to corresponding routes

Answer

To store and maintain user authentication credentials

Answer

To store and maintain network configuration parameters

Question 9

What is the primary role of a bridging protocol in a switched network?

Accepted Answer

To prevent network loops

Answer

To manage VLAN configurations

Answer

To provide network redundancy in case of switch failure

Answer

To enhance network performance

Question 10

Identify the primary function of a Layer 2 switch in a network.

Accepted Answer

Forwarding data frames using MAC addresses

Answer

Directing traffic based on IP addresses

Answer

Performing routing between networks

Answer

Translating MAC addresses into IP addresses

Question 11

What is the purpose of implementing trunking in a switched network?

Accepted Answer

Combining multiple physical links into a single logical link

Answer

Segmenting traffic based on VLAN memberships

Answer

Providing redundancy to mitigate link failures

Answer

Enhancing network security

Question 12

Which protocol is utilized for trunk negotiation in switched networks?

Accepted Answer

VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol)

Answer

STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)

Answer

CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol)

Answer

TRP (Transparent Routing Protocol)

Question 13

What is the primary objective of using RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol)?

Accepted Answer

Accelerating convergence time in switched networks

Answer

Preventing network loops

Answer

Providing fault tolerance in case of switch failures

Answer

Enhancing network security

Question 14

Identify the main purpose of a Media Access Control (MAC) address in a network environment.

Accepted Answer

Uniquely identifying network devices

Answer

Allocating IP addresses to devices

Answer

Routing network traffic

Answer

Encrypting network data

Question 15

Explain the primary advantage of utilizing Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) in network design.

Accepted Answer

Logical segmentation of a network into distinct groups

Answer

Increasing the overall network bandwidth

Answer

Enhancing security measures within the network

Answer

Reducing network latency and improving performance

Question 16

Specify the trunking protocol commonly employed to interconnect multiple switches, creating a single logical switch.

Accepted Answer

802.1Q: IEEE 802.1Q VLAN Tagging Protocol

Answer

ISL: Inter-Switch Link

Answer

LACP: Link Aggregation Control Protocol

Answer

STP: Spanning Tree Protocol

Question 17

Identify a characteristic that distinguishes Layer 2 switching from other switching methods.

Accepted Answer

Utilizing MAC addresses for efficient data forwarding

Answer

Supporting communication between VLANs

Answer

Performing routing functions and managing network traffic

Answer

Providing comprehensive network connectivity across all layers

Question 18

Determine the maximum number of VLANs that can be configured on a standard switch compliant with IEEE 802.1Q specifications.

Accepted Answer

256

Answer

16

Answer

64

Answer

4096

Question 19

Provide the appropriate command used on Cisco switches to display the MAC address table information.

Accepted Answer

show mac address-table

Answer

display mac

Answer

show arp

Answer

show interface switchport

Question 20

Which of the following is explicitly NOT a primary function of a Layer 2 switch?

Accepted Answer

Route traffic based on IP addresses

Answer

Create virtual network segments using VLANs

Answer

Provide redundancy and load balancing

Answer

Filter and forward traffic based on MAC addresses

Question 21

What is the fundamental purpose of a MAC address?

Accepted Answer

Uniquely identify a device on a network

Answer

Determine the IP address of a device

Answer

Define the network layer protocol used

Question 22

Provide the most accurate definition of a VLAN:

Accepted Answer

A virtual network segment created on a physical switch

Answer

A type of network interface card used in VLAN environments

Answer

A network protocol used for inter-VLAN communication

Question 23

What is the main advantage of utilizing trunking in a switched network?

Accepted Answer

Allows multiple VLANs to be carried over a single physical link

Answer

Provides increased bandwidth for all network traffic

Answer

Eliminates the need for dedicated VLAN switches

Question 24

Which of the following is a common use case for Layer 2 switching?

Accepted Answer

Segmenting a large network into smaller, more manageable units

Answer

Connecting devices to the Internet

Answer

Providing remote access to corporate resources

Question 25

Which VLAN is typically assigned as the default VLAN on most switches?

Accepted Answer

VLAN 1

Answer

VLAN 100

Answer

Unassigned VLAN

Answer

VLAN 10

Question 26

Which of the following protocols is primarily used for Layer 2 trunk negotiation?

Accepted Answer

DTP

Answer

CDP

Answer

STP

Question 27

What is the primary objective of a spanning tree protocol?

Accepted Answer

Prevent network loops and ensure seamless traffic flow

Answer

Assign IP addresses to network devices

Answer

Filter and block unauthorized network traffic

Question 28

Describe the key difference between a managed and an unmanaged switch:

Accepted Answer

Managed switches offer configuration and monitoring capabilities

Answer

Unmanaged switches are more expensive than managed switches

Answer

Unmanaged switches provide better performance than managed switches