Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

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What is the effect of overloading a switch's translation table with MAC addresses?

Increased network speed
Switch functioning normally
Entering fail-open mode
Blocking all incoming traffic

The correct answer is: Entering fail-open mode

Overloading a switch's translation table with MAC addresses leads to the device entering a fail-open mode. When the MAC address table is filled beyond its capacity, the switch can no longer learn and store new MAC addresses. In this state, the switch must decide how to handle incoming packets for unknown MAC addresses. In following a fail-open paradigm, the switch begins operating in a mode where it forwards all traffic out of all ports (except the port from which the traffic originated). This behavior can lead to a broadcast storm since the switch indiscriminately forwards packets, which can lead to network congestion and degrade performance. It doesn’t block all incoming traffic but allows for a more chaotic flow of data, mimicking the behavior of a hub rather than a switch. This effect emphasizes the importance of managing MAC address tables and awareness of the limitations inherent in networking devices, as well as the potential consequences of overwhelming their resources.