What is the purpose in a network switch?

Answer 1

Switches connect multiple devices on a network, similar to a hub, but with one difference.

Switches have the ability to "remember" which device is connected to which switch-port - and only retransmit to switch-port connecting the destination-device for which the data is intended, thereby creating multiple collision domains (which is good - less chance for lost data).

In contrast, a hub simply retransmits the data to EVERY interface on it, creating one huge collision domain.

Answer 2

what is the purpose of a switch on a local area network Answer To provide multiple connections for devices to connect to the segment. The switch provides for aggragating the various signals to go to one server or gateway.

Answer 3

A network switch is a device that forwards and filters OSI layer 2 data grams (chunk of data communication) between ports (connected cables) based on the MAC addresses in the packets. A switch is distinct from a hub in that it only forwards the frames to the ports involved in the communication rather than all ports connected. A switch breaks the collision domain but represents itself as a broadcast domain. Switches make forwarding decisions of frames on the basis of MAC addresses. A switch normally has numerous ports, facilitating a star topology for devices, and cascading additional switches. Some switches are capable of routing based on Layer 3 addressing or additional logical levels; these are called multi-layer switches. The term switch is used loosely in marketing to encompass devices including routers and bridges, as well as devices that may distribute traffic on load or by application content