What does a switch use to connect its interfaces together?

A switch uses a MAC address table to connect its interfaces together effectively. The MAC address table is crucial for a switch’s operation in a network environment as it maintains a mapping of each MAC address to the corresponding port on the switch where the device is connected. This enables the switch to forward packets accurately by sending them to the correct port based on the destination MAC address contained in the incoming frame.

When a frame is received, the switch looks at the source MAC address and logs it in its MAC address table along with the port number. Subsequently, when it receives frames addressed to other devices, it checks the MAC address of the intended recipient against its table to determine which port to use for forwarding the frame. This efficient process minimizes unnecessary traffic, as the switch can deliver data directly to the intended recipient without basic broadcasting.

In contrast, the other options refer to functions that do not specifically pertain to how a switch connects its interfaces. An IP address table is generally associated with routers, port mapping may be relevant in distinguishing connections but does not describe the internal workings of a switch, and an interface routing table pertains predominantly to managing data direction for devices operating at Layer 3 (the networking layer) and does not apply to the Layer 2 functions that a switch