Ethernet Switching

Ethernet Switching focuses on the fundamental principles of how modern switches operate to efficiently manage network traffic. This includes understanding MAC (Medium Access Control) address learning, which allows switches to maintain a dynamic table mapping each device to a specific port, greatly improving forwarding accuracy. You will also discover how each switch port serves as a dedicated collision domain, enabling multiple devices to communicate simultaneously without interference. By segmenting a network into these individual collision domains, Ethernet switches help achieve higher performance and reduce the likelihood of data collisions compared to traditional hub-based networks.

Additionally, the course explores two different switching methods—store-and-forward and cut-through—detailing their benefits and trade-offs. Store-and-forward allows the switch to verify a frame’s integrity before forwarding it, while cut-through offers minimal delay by transmitting frames as soon as the destination address is known. You will learn to apply these concepts to optimize local area networks for speed, reliability, and scalability. Throughout this course, you will gain the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to design, configure, and maintain effective Ethernet-based infrastructures.

This course also explains how Ethernet switches and IEEE 802.1Q Virtual LANs work together to deliver high-performance, logically segmented networks. You will learn to design switched infrastructures that combine collision-free forwarding with flexible VLAN-based broadcast-domain control.

About The Author

Pavel Burget is a researcher affiliated with the Czech Technical University in Prague, specifically with the CIIRC (Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics), where he has been heading Testbed for Industry 4.0. His expertise spans industrial communication, including Ethernet-based systems and protocols like PROFINET. He has contributed to the field through various research projects and educational courses that delve into the dynamics of industrial communication systems, focusing on aspects like diagnostics and modeling. He has also been involved in giving Certified PROFINET Engineer courses.