What is the primary difference between a network hub and a link-layer switch?
Explanation
This question highlights a fundamental distinction in LAN hardware. It tests the understanding that hubs operate at the physical layer (layer 1) by simply repeating bits, creating a collision domain, while switches operate at the link layer (layer 2), making intelligent forwarding decisions to isolate traffic and eliminate collisions.
Other questions
Which of the following describes the function of a network adapter on the sending side?
In a two-dimensional even parity scheme, how does a receiver identify and correct a single-bit error?
What is the maximum efficiency of the slotted ALOHA protocol under the condition of a large number of active nodes?
How does the CSMA/CD algorithm handle a situation where a node detects a collision while transmitting a frame?
In a switched LAN environment, what is 'switch poisoning'?
What is the length in bytes of a MAC address used in Ethernet and 802.11 wireless LANs?
What is the hexadecimal MAC broadcast address used in LANs like Ethernet?
According to the text, what is a typical expiration time for an entry in a host's ARP table?
In an Ethernet frame, what is the total size of the preamble field, and what is its primary purpose?
How does a link-layer switch build its forwarding table?
What is the function of the 'aging time' in a switch table?
In a port-based VLAN, how is traffic between different VLANs isolated?
What information is added to an Ethernet frame when it crosses a VLAN trunk, according to the 802.1Q standard?
The 802.1Q VLAN tag contains a 12-bit VLAN identifier field. How many unique VLANs can this field theoretically represent?
What is the primary role of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) in the context of the link layer?
In a data center architecture, what is a Top of Rack (TOR) switch?
What is the role of a load balancer in a data center network?
What problem in hierarchical data center architectures is solved by increasing connectivity between tiers, such as connecting each TOR switch to multiple tier-2 switches?
In the 'Day in the Life of a Web Page Request' scenario, what is the first network-related protocol a laptop runs after connecting to the Ethernet cable to get an IP address?
When a laptop sends its initial DHCP request message, what values are used for the source IP address in the IP datagram and the destination MAC address in the Ethernet frame?
Why does a checksumming method at the transport layer often differ from an error-detection method at the link layer, such as CRC?
In the CRC error-detection scheme, if the d-bit data is D and the r+1 bit generator is G, how is the r-bit remainder R calculated by the sender?
What is the primary drawback of channel partitioning protocols like TDM and FDM?
What is a 'taking-turns' protocol, and what is one of its primary advantages over random access protocols?
What is a significant drawback of the polling protocol for multiple access?
In the DOCSIS standard for cable Internet access, how does a cable modem request upstream transmission slots from the CMTS?
How does the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) resolve an IP address for a host on the same subnet?
When a host needs to send a datagram to a destination off its local subnet, what destination MAC address does it use in the Ethernet frame?
What is the maximum transmission unit (MTU) of Ethernet, and what happens if an IP datagram exceeds this size?
What is the purpose of the Type field in the Ethernet frame structure?
In a modern switch-based Ethernet LAN with full-duplex links, is a MAC protocol like CSMA/CD still necessary?
What is one key difference between a link-layer switch and a router?
How many bits are in the CRC field of a standard Ethernet frame?
According to the text, what is the 'hidden terminal problem' in wireless networks?
What is the maximum data rate of the IEEE 802.11g standard?
In the 802.11 architecture, what is a Basic Service Set (BSS)?
Why does the 802.11 MAC protocol use collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) instead of collision detection (CSMA/CD)?
What is the purpose of the RTS and CTS frames in the 802.11 MAC protocol?
How many address fields are there in an IEEE 802.11 frame, and why are more than two needed for infrastructure networks?
When a mobile host H1 moves from being associated with AP1 to AP2 within the same IP subnet, how can AP2 help update the forwarding table of the upstream switch?
In a Bluetooth piconet, what is the role of the master node?
How many active devices can a Bluetooth piconet support, and what is this type of network also known as?
What does a mobile device in a 4G LTE network do to find and attach to a base station?
In the 4G LTE architecture, which element is responsible for authenticating a device, setting up data path tunnels, and tracking the device's cell location?
What is the primary difference between direct and indirect routing for a mobile device?
What is the 'triangle routing problem' associated with indirect routing for mobile devices?
During a handover in a 4G/5G network, what is the role of the target base station after it receives a Handover Request from the source base station?
According to Table 7.3, what is the Mobile IP equivalent of the 4G/5G Home Subscriber Server (HSS)?
Why can TCP's congestion-control response be problematic in a wireless setting?