First, the core functions of the switch

1. Intelligent forwarding of data packets The switch establishes a "MAC address table" by learning the MAC address (hardware identifier) of the device. When one device (such as computer A) wants to communicate with another device (such as printer B), the switch will accurately forward the data packet to the corresponding port according to the MAC address of the target device (instead of broadcasting it to all devices like a hub) to avoid network congestion and data conflict. 2. Multi-device interconnection It supports the simultaneous connection of multiple devices (such as computers, printers, cameras, servers, etc.), and provides multiple network interfaces (usually 8 ports, 16 ports, 24 ports, 48 ports, etc.). All connected devices are in the same local area network (LAN) and can directly communicate with each other.

Second, Improve network efficiency

Through full-duplex communication (devices can send and receive data at the same time) and exclusive bandwidth mechanism, the switch avoids the bandwidth sharing problem of traditional hubs, and each port can obtain independent transmission rates (such as 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps or even higher). Second, the switch vs other network equipment The difference between the core function of equipment type and switch Hub broadcasts the received data to all ports (all devices share bandwidth). Data will be received by all devices, which is easy to cause conflicts, inefficient and unsafe. The switch is accurately forwarded to the target device.