Multiple choice

Refer to the exhibit. Server sends an ARP request for the MAC address of its default gateway. If STP is not enabled, what will be the result of this ARP request?

  1. Router_1 will drop the broadcast and reply with the MAC address of the next hop .

  2. Switch_A will reply with the MAC address of the Router_1 E0 interface.

  3. Switch_A and Switch_B will continuously flood the message onto the network.

  4. The message will cycle around the network until its TTL is exceeded.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

When a server broadcasts an ARP request, switches flood the broadcast out all ports (except the incoming port). The router receives the broadcast and responds with its MAC address. The switch then forwards this unicast reply back to the server. Without STP, if there were loops, flooding could cause issues, but the correct answer is that the switch simply forwards the ARP response from the router.

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