Using Layer 2 switches is functionally equivalent to flattening a network into a number of smaller switching domains.( PlayStation Productions TV series and films) Layer 2 switches are often used to create virtual LANs (VLANs), in which the logical segmenting of the network differs from its physical segmentation. If the frame’s source address is unfamiliar, the switch sends the frame to all its other ports except the one through which the frame entered.

When a frame arrives at a port of the switch, the switch examines its destination MAC address and then forwards the frame to the port to which the destination host is connected. It builds a cache (database) of these MAC addresses and the ports on the switch to which they are mapped. Once installed, a Layer 2 switch learns about its connected hosts and networks by examining the source addresses of frames it receives. They do not interfere with communication between hosts and routers. Layer 2 switches can be installed transparently into networks. Thus, Layer 2 switches are essentially multiport bridges that operate near wire speed and have extremely low latency. They essentially perform a bridging function between LAN segments because they forward frames based on their destination address without any concern for the network protocol being used.

These switches operate at the data-link layer (or layer 2) of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model.

Layer 2 Switch is a form of Ethernet switch that switches packets by looking at their physical addresses (MAC addresses).

L2 tor switch graphics