Collisions and Broadcast Storms - Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to collisions and broadcast storms as discussed in the video.

Collision

An event where two devices transmit simultaneously on a shared network medium, causing signals to collide and become unreadable.

Collision domain

A network segment where data transmissions can collide; reduced by using switches/bridges to create separate domains.

Hub

A network device that shares a single collision domain for all connected devices (layer 1).

Switch

A layer 2 device that creates a separate collision domain on each port, reducing collisions.

Bridge

A layer 2 device that connects segments and can segment collision domains.

Layer 2 device

Devices operating at the data link layer (e.g., switches, bridges) that manage collisions and frames within a LAN.

Layer 3 device

Devices operating at the network layer (e.g., routers) that segment broadcast domains.

CSMA/CD

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection; Ethernet method for managing access and detecting collisions in half‑duplex networks.

CSMA/CA

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance; method used in wireless networks to avoid collisions.

Broadcast storm

A flood of broadcast/multicast traffic that overwhelms switches and devices, degrading or disabling network performance.

Broadcast domain

A logical network segment where broadcast frames are forwarded at layer 2; switches do not by themselves break it up.

DHCP Discover (DORA)

The initial broadcast in DHCP (Discover) in the DORA sequence used to locate a DHCP server.

DHCP Relay

A device or feature that forwards DHCP broadcast messages across VLANs, enabling DHCP for clients on different subnets.

BPDU

Bridge Protocol Data Unit; a message used by switches to prevent loops and manage topology.

Excessive collisions

Too many collisions leading to repeated backoffs and dropped frames, indicating network issues.

Late collisions

Collisions detected after 5.12 microseconds, usually due to cabling, NICs, or too many hubs on a segment.

Auto negotiation

A feature that automatically negotiates speed/duplex; disabling it and hard‑coding settings can help resolve collisions.

Half duplex

Transmission mode where sending and receiving cannot occur simultaneously; used with shared media to avoid collisions.

Full duplex

Transmission mode where sending and receiving occur simultaneously; requires separate collision domains.

MAC address limit per port

Switch port security feature that limits the number of MAC addresses learned on a port to prevent storms.