Network Switching
Network switching is a fundamental networking concept that involves forwarding data packets between devices on a local area network (LAN) using switches. It operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model, using MAC addresses to intelligently direct traffic only to the intended recipient device, reducing network congestion. This contrasts with older hub-based networks that broadcast data to all devices.
Developers should learn network switching to understand how data moves efficiently within LANs, which is crucial for designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing networked applications and infrastructure. It's essential for roles involving system administration, DevOps, cloud computing, or any work with distributed systems where performance and security depend on proper network segmentation.