In a switched network, what is the purpose of MAC address learning?

The purpose of MAC address learning in a switched network is to build a MAC address table for frame forwarding. This process is crucial for efficient data transmission within the network. When a switch receives a frame, it examines the source MAC address and records it in its MAC address table along with the corresponding port through which the frame was received. This allows the switch to know which devices are connected to which ports.

As a result, when the switch needs to forward frames to specific destinations, it can consult the MAC address table to send the data directly to the appropriate port, rather than flooding all ports. This method minimizes unnecessary traffic and improves the overall efficiency of the network by ensuring that data is sent only to the intended recipient. Hence, the successful operation of a switched network relies heavily on this learning process to maintain an accurate and up-to-date mapping of MAC addresses to their respective ports.