100-150 Question 186
Single answerYou are troubleshooting a network where multiple devices are connected to a switch. One device is experiencing intermittent connectivity issues. Upon investigation, you find that multiple MAC addresses are being learned on the same switch port where the device is connected. Which switching concept does this scenario best illustrate?
- A
MAC address flooding
- B
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) misconfiguration
- C
Port security violation
- D
Broadcast storm
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The scenario describes a situation where multiple MAC addresses are being learned on a single switch port, which is likely due to a port security violation. Port security is a switching feature that limits the number of MAC addresses allowed on a port to prevent unauthorized access or configuration issues. This is a key concept in basic switching operations.
- A. Incorrect.
MAC address flooding typically refers to an attack where a switch is overloaded with numerous fake MAC addresses, causing it to flood traffic. This is not relevant to the described scenario.
- B. Incorrect.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) misconfiguration could lead to network loops and broadcast storms, but it does not directly explain why multiple MAC addresses are appearing on the same port.
- C. Correct.
Port security violation occurs when an unexpected or excessive number of MAC addresses attempt to communicate through a single switch port, which matches the described issue in the scenario.
- D. Incorrect.
A broadcast storm happens when there is excessive broadcast traffic in the network due to loops or misconfigurations, but it is unrelated to the issue described.