CCNA Discovery 2, Chapter 5

5.4.1: A switch deals with MAC addresses and frames at OSI Layer 2. A standard switch does not route traffic at Layer 3 of the OSI model and cannot route traffic between two different LANs.

A typical switch for medium-sized businesses and branch offices is a 2960 series switch. These switches have a fixed hardware configuration, can provide up to Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for hosts, and allow software configuration through Cisco IOS software or the GUI-based Cisco Network Assistant. Remember the following key points about switch ports:

• A switch port can operate in full-duplex mode, allowing it to send and receive data simultaneously.

• A switch port can also operate in half-duplex mode, allowing the port to alternatively send and receive data, but not send and receive simultaneously.