Which command can be used to verify the MAC address table on a switch?

Which command can be used to verify the MAC address table on a switch?

• A. show running-config
• B. show mac address-table
• C. show ip route
• D. show interfaces

Answer: (B)

To verify the MAC address table on a switch, the most appropriate command is 'show mac address-table.' This command provides a detailed view of the switch's MAC address learning, including the dynamic and static MAC addresses that the switch has learned from connected devices. When devices communicate over a network, switches learn the MAC addresses of the devices connected to their ports. The MAC address table is crucial for the switch to efficiently direct traffic within the local area network (LAN). By executing this command, a network administrator can see which MAC addresses are associated with which switch ports, enabling effective troubleshooting and network management. The other commands listed serve different purposes. For instance, 'show running-config' displays the current configuration of the switch, 'show ip route' provides information about the routing table on a device (which is not applicable for a switch that typically operates at Layer 2), and 'show interfaces' gives detailed information about the status and statistics of the interfaces on the switch. While these commands are useful for various maintenance and troubleshooting tasks, they do not directly display the MAC address table.

To verify the MAC address table on a switch, the most appropriate command is 'show mac address-table.' This command provides a detailed view of the switch's MAC address learning, including the dynamic and static MAC addresses that the switch has learned from connected devices.

When devices communicate over a network, switches learn the MAC addresses of the devices connected to their ports. The MAC address table is crucial for the switch to efficiently direct traffic within the local area network (LAN). By executing this command, a network administrator can see which MAC addresses are associated with which switch ports, enabling effective troubleshooting and network management.

The other commands listed serve different purposes. For instance, 'show running-config' displays the current configuration of the switch, 'show ip route' provides information about the routing table on a device (which is not applicable for a switch that typically operates at Layer 2), and 'show interfaces' gives detailed information about the status and statistics of the interfaces on the switch. While these commands are useful for various maintenance and troubleshooting tasks, they do not directly display the MAC address table.