What device connects devices within a single network and forwards data using packet switching?

What device connects devices within a single network and forwards data using packet switching?

• A. Router
• B. Switch
• C. Firewall
• D. Access point

Answer: (B)

This question is about how devices on the same LAN are connected and how data moves between them. A switch sits in the path to connect multiple devices within a single network, learning each device’s MAC address and building a forwarding table. When data arrives, the switch looks at the destination MAC and forwards the frame only to the appropriate port, effectively performing packet switching inside the local network. This localized forwarding keeps traffic contained to the right devices and reduces collisions, which is exactly what a device designed to interconnect a LAN does. A router, by contrast, connects different networks and forwards packets between them, not just within one network. A firewall sits between networks to inspect and filter traffic rather than primarily connecting devices on a single LAN. An access point provides wireless access to the network but does not replace a switch for interconnecting wired devices in the LAN.

This question is about how devices on the same LAN are connected and how data moves between them. A switch sits in the path to connect multiple devices within a single network, learning each device’s MAC address and building a forwarding table. When data arrives, the switch looks at the destination MAC and forwards the frame only to the appropriate port, effectively performing packet switching inside the local network. This localized forwarding keeps traffic contained to the right devices and reduces collisions, which is exactly what a device designed to interconnect a LAN does.

A router, by contrast, connects different networks and forwards packets between them, not just within one network. A firewall sits between networks to inspect and filter traffic rather than primarily connecting devices on a single LAN. An access point provides wireless access to the network but does not replace a switch for interconnecting wired devices in the LAN.