2006-12-09 09:20:18 · 3 answers · asked by jim_200225 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
broadcast, leading to possible braodcast storms?
2006-12-09 09:21:41 · update #1
If I'm reading the question correctly, switches must send broadcast packets to all hosts because that is the way that it was designed.
In a TCP/IP network there is a reserved host address that is ment to send the packet to all hosts on the network. This is the .255 address. As an example you have a standard home network running on 192.168.1.1/24. The broadcast address would be 192.168.1.255.
When the switch receives a packet destined to that address it forwards the packet to all computers on the network.
This can cause a broadcast storm if a malformed, or malicious packet is sent to that address, causing all computers on the network to respond - essentially at the same time - to the packet.
2006-12-09 09:42:26 · answer #1 · answered by zypher1083 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Broadcast storms occur when two switches have redundant active connections between them. Any frame being broadcast (e.g. an ARP broadcast) will keep looping between the two switches (in one redundant connection, then out the other, over and over again). To prevent this from happening, switches run Spanning Tree Protocol, which allows you to have an inactive redundant connection without risking broadcast storms.
2006-12-09 10:48:07 · answer #2 · answered by Diet Lava 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
need more info to answer that.
2006-12-09 09:23:27 · answer #3 · answered by sarah 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋