CCST Network Devices & Infrastructure Flashcards

What is the primary function of a network switch compared to a hub?

Answer: A switch forwards traffic only to the destination MAC address port; a hub broadcasts to all ports

A switch uses a MAC address table to forward frames only to the specific port associated with the destination MAC address, reducing unnecessary traffic, while a hub broadcasts to all ports.

Which Cisco IOS command displays the MAC address table on a Catalyst switch?

Answer: show mac address-table

The 'show mac address-table' command on a Cisco Catalyst switch displays all learned MAC addresses and their associated port and VLAN information.

What is the purpose of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) in a switched network?

Answer: To prevent Layer 2 switching loops by blocking redundant paths

STP (IEEE 802.1D) prevents broadcast storms and Layer 2 loops in networks with redundant switch paths by logically blocking all but one active path.

Which device operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model and makes forwarding decisions based on IP addresses?

Answer: Router

A router operates at Layer 3 (Network layer) and uses routing tables to forward packets based on destination IP addresses between different networks.

What does PoE (Power over Ethernet) allow network administrators to do?

Answer: Deliver electrical power to devices like IP phones and APs through the Ethernet cable

PoE (IEEE 802.3af/at/bt) allows network switches to deliver DC electrical power alongside data over standard Ethernet cabling to devices like IP phones, APs, and cameras.

Which Cisco IOS command would you use to verify connectivity to a remote device and display round-trip time?

Answer: ping

The 'ping' command sends ICMP Echo Request messages to a destination and reports the round-trip time and success rate, verifying basic IP connectivity.