Ethernet Switching Basics

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 Foreword
 Data transmission on networks must comply with certain standards. Ethernet protocols define
how data frames are transmitted over an Ethernet network. Understanding Ethernet protocols is
the basis for fully understanding communication at the data link layer. An Ethernet switch is the
main device for implementing data link layer communication. It is essential to understand how
an Ethernet switch works.
 This course describes the concepts related to Ethernet protocols, MAC address types, and
working process and mechanism of Layer 2 switches.

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 Objectives
 On completion of this course, you will be able to:
 Describe the basic concepts of an Ethernet network.
 Distinguish MAC address types.
 Get familiar with the working process of a Layer 2 switch.
 Get familiar with the structure and generation process of a MAC address table.

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 Contents
1. Overview of Ethernet Protocols
2. Overview of Ethernet Frames
3. Overview of Ethernet Switches
4. Process of Data Communication Within a Network Segment

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 Ethernet Protocols
 Ethernet is the most common communication protocol standard used by existing local area networks (LANs). It
defines the cable types and signal processing methods that are used on a LAN.
 An Ethernet network is a broadcast network built based on the carrier sense multiple access/collision detection
(CSMA/CD) mechanism.

Host A Host B Switch A

Switch B

Host A Host B

Host C Host D
Host C Host D

Early Ethernet Switch Networking

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 Collision Domain
 A collision domain is a set of nodes connected to the same shared medium. All nodes in a collision domain compete for the same
bandwidth. Packets (unicast, multicast, or broadcast) sent by a node can be received by other nodes.
Separating collision domains
Solution: CSMA/CD
Host A Host B
Switch A

Collision
Switch B

Host A Host B

Host C Host D Switch Networking

Early Ethernet Five Collision Domains
Host C Host D
One Collision Domain

• On a traditional Ethernet network, multiple nodes on the same medium

The switch interfaces used to send and receive data are independent of
share the link bandwidth and compete for the right to use the link. As a
each other and belong to different collision domains. Therefore,
result, collision occurs.
collisions do not occur between hosts (or networks) connected through
• The probability that collision occurs increases when more nodes are
switch interfaces.
deployed on a shared medium.
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 Broadcast Domain
 The entire access scope of broadcast packets is called a Layer 2 broadcast domain, which is also called a broadcast domain. All hosts
in the same broadcast domain can receive broadcast packets.

Host A Host B Switch A

Broadcast
packet
Broadcast
packet
Switch B

Host A Host B

Host C Host D Switch Networking

Early Ethernet One Broadcast Domain
Host C Host D
One Broadcast Domain

On a traditional Ethernet network, multiple nodes on the same medium A switch forwards broadcast packets to all interfaces. Therefore, the
share a link. The broadcast packets sent by a device can be received by all nodes connected to all interfaces of the switch belong to the same
the other devices. broadcast domain.

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 Ethernet NIC
 A network interface card (NIC) is a key component that connects a network device (such as a computer, a switch, or a
router) to an external network.
Computer
• Network Port
Packet Bit Stream
TCP/IP ▫ A network port is also called a network
Network NIC
layer interface, interface, or port.
Computer Packet Bit Stream
• NIC
▫ Each network port corresponds to a NIC.
Switch
Other NICs that
▫ A computer or switch forwards data
Frame Bit Stream
transfer data to the
local host through a NIC.
NIC
Other NICs on the
local host Frame Bit Stream

Other NICs that

transfer data to the
Frame Bit Stream
Switch local host
NIC
Other NICs on the
local host
Frame Bit Stream

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 Contents
1. Overview of Ethernet Protocols
2. Overview of Ethernet Frames
3. Overview of Ethernet Switches
4. Process of Data Communication Within a Network Segment

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

Ethernet Frame Format

 The frames used by Ethernet technology are referred to as Ethernet frames.
 Ethernet frames are in two formats: Ethernet_II and IEEE 802.3.

Total length of a data frame: 64–1518 bytes

6B 6B 2B 46-1500B 4B

Ethernet_II format D.MAC S.MAC Type User data FCS

6B 6B 2B 3B 5B 38-1492B 4B
IEEE 802.3 format D.MAC S.MAC Length LLC SNAP User data FCS

3B 2B
Org Code Type

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

What Is a MAC Address?

 A media access control (MAC) address uniquely identifies a NIC on a network. Each NIC must have a
globally unique MAC address.

What is a MAC address? MAC Address

Each NIC has a number, that is, a MAC

I have a MAC
address when I address, to identify itself, just as each
leave the factory. Name: NIC
person has an ID card number to identify

MAC address/Ethernet address/Physical himself/herself.

address:

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

IP Address Vs. MAC Address

 Each Ethernet device has a unique MAC address before delivery. When the device accesses the network, it assigns an
IP address to each host. Why?

Ethernet

Characteristics of IP addresses:
Host 1 Host 2
▫ IP addresses are unique.
▫ IP addresses are changeable.
NIC NIC
MAC1 MAC2 ▫ IP addresses are assigned based on network
topology.
IP1 IP2
Can a network device
have either a MAC
IP3 IP4 address or an IP
Characteristics of MAC addresses:
address?
▫ MAC addresses are unique.
NIC NIC ▫ MAC addresses cannot be changed.
MAC3 MAC4
▫ MAC addresses are assigned based on the
Host 3 Host 4 manufacturer.

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

MAC Address Presentation

 A MAC address is 48 bits (6 bytes) in length.
 As typically represented, MAC addresses are recognizable as six groups of two hexadecimal digits, separated by
hyphens, colons, or without a separator.
For example, 00-1E-10-DD-DD-02 or 001E-10DD-DD02
Hexadecimal 00 1E 10 DD DD 02 6-byte
Binary 0000 0000 0001 1110 0001 0000 1101 1101 1101 1101 0000 0010 48-bit

23 22 21 20 23 22 21 20
Conversion between
Power
hexadecimal and 8 4 2 1 8 4 2 1
binary digits
Bit 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0

=1 = 8+4+2=14=E

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

MAC Address Composition and Classification

 Organizationally unique identifier (OUI): a 24-bit (3-byte) number. It is a globally unique identifier assigned
by the IEEE.
 Company ID (CID): a 24-bit (3-byte) number. It is assigned by a manufacturer.

OUI CID

 MAC address classification:

OUI
Example
Unicast MAC address XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX 00-1E-10-DD-DD-02
0 X X X X X
Non-OUI

Multicast MAC address XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX 01-80-C2-00-00-01
1 X X X X X
Non-OUI

Broadcast MAC address 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

Unicast Ethernet Frame

Host A Host B
• A unicast Ethernet frame is also called a unicast
frame.
• The destination MAC address of a unicast frame is a
unicast MAC address. Unicast
Frame

D.MAC:
S.MAC DATA
00-1E-10-DD-DD-02
Host C Host D

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
00- 1E- 10- DD- DD- 02

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

Broadcast Ethernet Frame

Host A Host B
• A broadcast Ethernet frame ia also called a broadcast
frame.
• The destination MAC address of a broadcast frame is
a broadcast MAC address.
Broadcast
Frame

D.MAC:
S.MAC DATA
FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF
Host C Host D

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
FF- FF- FF- FF- FF- FF

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 Ethernet Frame Format MAC address Ethernet frame type

Multicast Ethernet Frame

Host A Host B
• A multicast Ethernet frame is also called a multicast
frame.
• The destination MAC address of a multicast frame is
a unicast MAC address.
Multicast
Frame

D.MAC:
S.MAC DATA
01-80-C2-00-00-01
Host C Host D

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
01- 80- C2- 00- 00- 01

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 Contents
1. Overview of Ethernet Protocols
2. Overview of Ethernet Frames
3. Overview of Ethernet Switches
4. Process of Data Communication Within a Network Segment

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 Typical Architecture of a Campus Network
Internet Internet

Egress layer

Core layer

Aggregation
layer

Access layer

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 Layer 2 Ethernet switch
Internet Internet

Layer 2 Ethernet switches forward data

through Ethernet interfaces and can address
and forward data only according to the MAC
address in a Layer 2 header (Ethernet frame
header).

Layer 2 Ethernet
Switch

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 Working Principles of Switches

/3
0/0
Host 1 Host 2

GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

Switch
IP1: 192.168.1.1 IP2: 192.168.1.2
MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

Frame sent by host 1

Source MAC address: Destination MAC address: After receiving a frame, the switch learns the
MAC1 MAC2 source MAC address of the frame, searches
the MAC address table for the destination
Source IP address: IP1 Destination IP address: IP2
MAC address (MAC2: 0050-5600-0002 in
Payload this example) of the frame, and forwards the
frame through the corresponding interface.

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 MAC Address Table
 Each switch has a MAC address table that stores the mapping between MAC addresses and switch
interfaces.

/3
0/0
Host 1 Host 2

GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1 Switch IP2

MAC1 MAC2

MAC Address Interface

MAC1 GE 0/0/1

MAC2 GE 0/0/2
... ...

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 Three Frame Processing Behaviors of a Switch
 A switch processes the frames entering an interface over a transmission medium in three ways:

Switch
Flooding
Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 4

Switch
Forwarding
Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 4

Switch
Discarding
Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 4
Frame

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 Flooding

/3
0/0
Host 1 Host 2

GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002
Unknown
MAC address table searched Frame processing behavior unicast frame
1 Frame sent by host 1 2 3
by the switch of the switch

Source MAC: MAC1 MAC Address Interface • If a unicast frame is received:

Destination MAC: MAC2 MAC1 GE 0/0/1 If the switch cannot find the destination MAC
address of the frame in the MAC address
table, the switch floods the unicast frame.
or • If a broadcast frame is received:

Source MAC: MAC1 The switch directly floods the broadcast frame
without searching the MAC address table.
Destination MAC: FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF

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 Forwarding

/3
0/0
Host 1 Host 2

GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002
MAC address table Frame processing behavior
1 Frame sent by host 1 2 searched by the switch 3 of the switch

Source MAC: MAC1 MAC Address Interface • If a unicast frame is received:

Destination MAC: MAC2 MAC1 GE 0/0/1 If the switch finds the destination MAC
address of the frame in the MAC address table
MAC2 GE 0/0/2 and the interface number in the table is not the
number of the interface through which the
frame enters over the transmission medium,
the switch forwards the unicast frame.

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 Discarding
IP2: 192.168.1.2
MAC2: 0050-5600-0002
Host 1
Host 2

Switch 1 GE
IP1: 192.168.1.1 0 /0 /
MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 1

Switch 2
MAC address table queried Frame processing behavior
1 Frame sent by host 1 2 by switch 2 3 of the switch

Source MAC: MAC1 MAC Address Interface • If a unicast frame is received:

Destination MAC: MAC2 MAC2 GE 0/0/1 • The switch finds the destination MAC address of the
frame in the MAC address table, but the interface
number in the table is the number of the interface
through which the frame enters the switch over the
transmission medium. In this case, the switch discards
the unicast frame.

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 MAC Address Learning on a Switch (1)

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

MAC address table of

the switch 1
MAC Address Interface Initially, the MAC address table
of the switch is empty.

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 MAC Address Learning on a Switch (2)

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

MAC address table

Frame sent by host 1 searched by the switch 2

Source MAC: MAC1 MAC Address Interface • Host 1 sends a frame to host 2.
Destination MAC: MAC2 • After the frame is received on the switch's
GE 0/0/1, the switch searches the MAC
address table for the destination MAC
(Assume that host 1 has obtained the address of the frame. If no matching entry is
MAC address of host 2.) found, the switch considers the frame an
unknown unicast frame.

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 MAC Address Learning on a Switch (3)

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

MAC address table

Frame sent by host 1 searched by the switch 3

Source MAC: MAC1 MAC Address Interface • If the corresponding entry is not found in the
MAC1 GE 0/0/1 MAC address table, the switch floods the
Destination MAC: MAC2
unicast frame.
• At the same time, the switch learns the
source MAC address of the frame, creates
the corresponding MAC address entry, and
associates the MAC address entry with GE
0/0/1.

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 MAC Address Learning on a Switch (4)

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

4 Frame sent by host 2

• The frame is also received by the hosts Source MAC: MAC2
connected to other interfaces on the switch. Destination MAC: MAC1
These hosts, however, discard the frame.
• Host 2 receives and processes the frame,
responds to host 1, and sends the frame to
the switch.

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 MAC Address Learning on a Switch (5)

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002
MAC address table
searched by the switch Frame sent by host 2
MAC Address Interface Source MAC: MAC2
MAC1 GE 0/0/1 Destination MAC: MAC1
MAC2 GE 0/0/2

5
• If the switch finds the corresponding entry in the MAC address table, the switch forwards the
unicast frame through GE 0/0/1.
• At the same time, the switch learns the source MAC address of the frame, creates the corresponding
MAC address entry, and associates the MAC address entry with GE 0/0/2.

Page 34 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Contents
1. Overview of Ethernet Protocols
2. Overview of Ethernet Frames
3. Overview of Ethernet Switches
4. Process of Data communication Within a Network Segment

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 Process of Data Communication Within a
Network Segment
 Scenario description:
 Task: Host 1 wants to access host 2.
 Host: The host is in the initialized state and only knows its own IP address and MAC address (assume that the IP address of the
peer host has been obtained).
 Switch: The switch is just powered on and in the initialized state.

3
0 /0/
Host 1 Host 2

GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

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 Data Encapsulation Process
Host 1 Host 2

Application Layer Data Data Application Layer

Transport Layer Data Data Transport Layer

Network layer Data Data Network layer

Data Link Layer Data Data Data Link Layer

Physical layer Physical layer

TCP
Ethernet header IP header User data Ethernet tail
header

• Information that needs to be

encapsulated:
• Source MAC address
• Destination MAC address

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 Initialization

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

ARP cache table of host 1 MAC address table of the switch

Host 1>arp -a [Switch]display mac-address verbose

Internet Address Physical Address Type MAC address table of slot 0:
---------------------------------------------------MAC
Address Port Type
---------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------

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 Flooding Frames

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

ARP Request packet sent by host 1 MAC address table of the switch

Source MAC address: Destination MAC address: FF-

MAC1 FF-FF-FF-FF-FF [Switch]display mac-address verbose
MAC address table of slot 0:
Source IP address: IP1 Destination IP address: IP2
---------------------------------------------------MAC
Operation type: ARP Request Address Port Type
Sender's MAC address: MAC1 ---------------------------------------------------
Sender's IP address: IP1
Destination MAC address: 00-00-00-00-00-00
Destination IP address: IP2
----------------------------------------------------

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 MAC Address Learning

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

ARP Request packet sent by host 1 MAC address table of the switch

Source MAC address: Destination MAC address: FF-

MAC1 FF-FF-FF-FF-FF [Switch]display mac-address verbose
MAC address table of slot 0:
Source IP address: IP1 Destination IP address: IP2
---------------------------------------------------MAC
Operation type: ARP Request Address Port Type
Sender's MAC address: MAC1 ---------------------------------------------------0050-
Sender's IP address: IP1 5600-0001 GE0/0/1 dynamic
Destination MAC address: 00-00-00-00-00-00
Destination IP address: IP2
----------------------------------------------------

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 Reply of the Target Host

/3
0/ 0
GE
Host 1 Host 2
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2

IP1: 192.168.1.1 Switch IP2: 192.168.1.2

MAC1: 0050-5600-0001 MAC2: 0050-5600-0002

MAC address table of the switch ARP Reply packet sent by host 2

Source MAC address: Destination MAC address:

[Switch]display mac-address verbose MAC2 MAC1
MAC address table of slot 0:
Source IP address: IP2 Destination IP address: IP1
---------------------------------------------------MAC
Address Port Type Operation type: ARP Reply
---------------------------------------------------0050- Sender's MAC address: MAC2
5600-0001 GE0/0/1 dynamic Sender's IP address: IP2
Destination MAC address: MAC1
0050-5600-0002 GE0/0/2 dynamic
Destination IP address: IP1
----------------------------------------------------

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 Quiz
1. (Single) A Layer 2 Ethernet switch generates a MAC address table entry based on the ( ) of the packet received by
an interface.
A. Source MAC address

B. Destination MAC address

C. Source IP address

D. Destination IP address.

2. (Single) A switch has eight interfaces. A unicast frame enters the switch through one of the eight interfaces, but the
switch cannot find the destination MAC address entry of the frame in the MAC address table. In this case, which of
the following operations is performed by the switch? ( )
A. Discarding

B. Flooding

C. Point-to-point forwarding

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 Summary
 This section describes the basic information about the Ethernet protocol, Ethernet frame formats,
MAC address, and working principles of Layer 2 switches. Specifically, after receiving a frame,
a switch learns the source MAC address of the frame and searches the destination MAC address
of the frame in the MAC address table. If the destination MAC address exists in the table, the
switch forwards the frame through the corresponding interface.
 This course also describes the whole process of data communication within the same network
segment based on the working principles of switches.

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 Thank You
www.huawei.com

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