Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is frame forwarding?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**Frame forwarding** is the process by which a switch receives an Ethernet frame and sends it to the right port based on the destination MAC address. **Key point:** if the destination MAC address is unknown, the switch floods the frame, sending it out on all ports except the incoming one.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**Frame forwarding** is the process by which **a switch receives an Ethernet frame and forwards it to the right port** based on the **destination MAC address**. Briefly: **forwarding is the switch's decision about exactly where to send a received frame**. --- ## How frame forwarding happens (step by step) ### 1. **Receiving the frame** The switch receives an Ethernet frame on one of its ports. --- ### 2. **Learning** The switch: - reads the **source MAC address** - remembers it in the **MAC table**, together with the port the frame arrived on This is needed to know where each device is located. --- ### 3. **Looking up the destination MAC address** The switch checks: - whether the **destination MAC address** is in the MAC table Possible outcomes: - **MAC found** → forwarding to a specific port - **MAC not found** → flooding (sending to all ports except the incoming one) - **Broadcast / Multicast** → sending to the corresponding ports --- ### 4. **Forwarding the frame** The switch: - sends the frame **only to the right port** - or sends it out on several ports (multicast/broadcast) --- ## Important details for an interview - Forwarding happens **at the data link layer (L2)** - It is based on **MAC addresses**, not IP - The switch **does not change the contents of the frame** - The decision is made **separately for each frame** --- ## What is NOT forwarding - routing (that is L3) - analyzing TCP/UDP ports - changing IP addresses --- ## Short version for an interview > **Frame forwarding** is the process by which a switch sends an Ethernet frame out the corresponding port, based on the destination MAC address and the MAC table.For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.