Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

Which of the following is a characteristic of a switch?

1. Broadcasts incoming packets to all ports

2. Forwarding based on MAC addresses

3. Connects multiple networks

4. Does not filter traffic

The correct answer is: Forwarding based on MAC addresses

Choosing forwarding based on MAC addresses as a characteristic of a switch highlights a fundamental operation of how switches manage data traffic within a local area network (LAN). A switch operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and uses MAC (Media Access Control) addresses to determine where to send incoming data packets. When a switch receives data, it examines the MAC address in the packet and forwards it only to the port that corresponds to that address. This process reduces unnecessary network traffic and optimizes the performance of the network by ensuring that data is sent only to the intended recipient, rather than broadcasting it to all devices connected to the switch. In contrast, a switch does not broadcast all packets to all ports, as that would lead to immense network congestion. It also doesn’t connect multiple networks directly; that role is generally fulfilled by routers. While switches do filter traffic based on MAC addresses, they effectively prevent unwanted traffic from being sent to every connected device, thus promoting efficiency. Therefore, the ability to forward data based on MAC addresses is a defining feature of how switches operate within a network environment.