Ethernet

TCP/IP Original Model

TCP/IP Updated Model

Application

Application

Transport
Internet

Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical

Link

Maximum and Minimum Frame Size

Frame Type

IPG

Layer 1
Preamble

Standard

12 Bytes

8 Bytes

Layer2
Start of Frame
Delimiter
1 Byte

Layer2 Frame Size with 802.1 Q

64 - 1522 Bytes

Layer2 Frame Size

Without 802.1 Q
64 - 1518 Bytes

Layer4
Layer4 TCP
Segment Size
Variable

Layer4 TCP OverHead

TCP Header
20 - 60 Bytes

Layer4 UDP Segment Size

Variable

Layer4 UDP OverHead

UDP Header
8 Bytes

Maximum Frame Size for Ethernet II is 1518. Maximum Frame Size for 802.1Q networking is 1522.

Frame Structure
Layer2
Layer2 Frame Size with 802.1 Q
64 - 1522 Bytes

Layer2 Frame Size

Without 802.1 Q
64 - 1518 Bytes

For Frame Size settings, most of the time, the Preamble and SFD seem to be filltered out of the sum. As of such, configuration wise the Frame Header Length is 14 bytes, Frame Tr
Minimum Frame Size- Frame Header +Layer3 PDU + Frame Trailer (14+46+4- 64 Bytes).
For backwards compatibility, even if the 802.1Q header is present, the minimum Ethernet Frame Size will still be 64 bytes.
Detailed Frame Structure

The Ethernet data link protocol defines the Ethernet frame- an Ethernet header at the front, the encapsulated payload in the middle, and an Ethernet trailer at the end. IEEE 802.2 / 802
802.3 Frame Structure
0

15

16

23

24

31

32

39
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 MAC Header

Destination MAC Address

Source MAC Address
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 MAC Trailer
FCS/CRC (2 or 4 Bytes)

DSAP address

Length

15 16
23
24
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 802.2 LLC Header
SSAP address
Control (1 or 2 Bytes)

31

OR
0

DSAP address

15 16

23

24

31
Layer2 OverHead

Layer2 802.2 LLC Header

SSAP address
Control (1 or 2 Bytes)

Ethernet II Frame Structure

Layer2 OverHead

Layer2 MAC Header

Destination MAC Address
Source MAC Address
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 MAC Trailer
FCS/CRC (2 or 4 Bytes)

Type

Layer2 OverHead
Slow Protocols Header
Slow Protocols Subtype
1 Byte
Ethernet II + 802.1Q Frame Structure
0

15

16

23

24

31

32

39
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 MAC Header

Destination MAC Address

Source MAC Address
Type
Layer2 OverHead
Layer2 MAC Trailer
FCS/CRC (2 or 4 Bytes)

802.1Q Header Structure

Layer2 OverHead
802.1Q OverHead
Tag Protocol Identifier
Type 81-00

MAC (Medium Access Control) Address

Priority Code Point(3 Bits)

Drop Eligible (1 Bit)

MAC Address is a 48 bits Address using a hexadecimal representation system.

Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI)
24 Bits
6 Hex Digits
MAC Address Format
0

0000

0100

0001

0101

0010

0110

0011

0111

Hexadecim

Unicast MAC Address: MAC Address that uniquely identifies a device.

Broadcast MAC Address: MAC Address that identifies all of the devices inside of a LAN, FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF.
Multicast MAC Address: MAC Address that identifies a group of devices. Multicast Addresses range from 00-00-00-00-00-00 to 7F-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF. Protocol related MAC
Burned In MAC Address: MAC Address that uniquely identifies a Switch or a Router Interface.
IPv4 Multicast Address to Ethernet Multicast MAC Address Conversion
The original multicast IPv4 Address is broken into groups of binary digits. All of the Multicast MAC Addresses will start with 01-00-5E for the 1st 24 bits.
The next bit will always be "0" and the last 23 bits will be the last 23 bits of the multicast IPv4 Address.
224. 132.6.17
224
1110

132
0000

1000

6
0100

0000

0110

132

1000
Resulting MAC Address-

01-00-5E

01-00-5E-04-06-01-11
Frame forwarding Types

Layer2 only Equipments will not modify the Source/Destination Ethernet Addresses (MAC), but they can alter the Ethernet Header structure adding/removing the 802.1Q (

Store-and-Forward- the switch will forward the frame only after it has received it completely and has done the FCS on it.
Fragment-Free Processing- the switch will forward the frame after receiving the first 64bytes of the forwarding frame, using this type of forwarding will reduce the number
Collisions should be detected in the first 64 bytes of a frame.
Cut-Through Processing- the switch will forward the frame as soon as it has received it , possibly propagating errors due to the fact that the FCS is in the trailer part of the
CSMA/CD

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) is a system that permits multiple devices to use a shared transport medium to communicate. Since they can all co
The Collision Detection mechanism can observe these collisions and once a collision has taken place, all of the devices on that network will stop sending any other data. Each device w
After the timer has reached its value, then, the devices will start listening to the transport medium again to see if it is available for transport. This mechanism applies to modern etherne
CAM

Content Addressable Memory table( CAM or MAC Address Table) is a table that stores all of the MAC Addresses that a device has learned. Every device can learn MAC addresses fro
The switching decisions are also made with the help of the MAC Address Table as follows- If the destination MAC address is contained inside of the CAM, then forward the frame on
If the destination MAC address is not inside the CAM, then broadcast the frame on all active interfaces, except the one it was received on. Flooding is the process by which a device se
CAM tables have 2 categories of MAC Addresses- Dynamic MAC Addresses, Static MAC Addresses. The Static MAC Addresses, in turn can be manually configured MAC Addresses
The Dynamic MAC Addresses are addresses that are learned by the device and that have an inactivity timer assigned to them. Due to this fact, when the inactivity timer reaches 0, then
The inactivity timer is reseted when a new frame with the same Source MAC Address is received.
Unicast MAC addresses can be learned by CAM tables, while Broadcast and Multicast addresses will not, since they will not be contained in the Source M
Collision Domains and Vlan Broadcast Filtering

Collision Domain represent a contention based medium used by multiple devices were collisions can take place.
Early on, Hubs, that used to send out the information received on an interface out on all interfaces would provide 1 collision domain.
With the innovation of Bridges, the collision domains have been restructured and were supported only on a per interface basis, thus increasing throughput utilization and giving the Bri

the posibility to have as many collision domains as physical interfaces.

Switches support, as well, the same features with 1 more innovation added. Neither Hubs nor Bridges could segment Broadcast Domains before, only Routers could traditionally segm
Switches that support 802.1Q Vlan Tagging can filter broadcast domains segmenting networks in smaller subnetworks.
Broadcast Domains are the whole area of a network that is capable of receiving a broadcast frame.
With Vlan tagging, even though the broadcast address still remains FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF, it will not be forwarded to all ports since it will have its Vlan Tag checked.
Protocol Multicast MAC Addresses
Protocol Name
STP/RSTP
R-PVSTP
LACP
PAgP
HSRPv1
HSRPv1
HSRPv2
HSRPv2
VRRP
GLBP
GLBP

Destination MAC
01-80-C2-00-00-00
01-00-0C-CC-CC-CD
01-80-C2-00-00-02
01-00-0C-CC-CC-CC
01-00-5E-00-00-02
01-00-5E-00-00-02
01-00-5E-00-00-66
01-00-5E-00-00-66
01-00-5E-00-00-12
0x01-00-5E-00-00-66
0x01-00-5E-00-00-66

Source MAC
Burned In MAC Address
Burned In MAC Address
nu e clara
nu e clara
00-00-0C-07-AC-XX, Active Router
Burned In MAC, Non Active Router
00-00-0C-9F-FX-XX
Burned In MAC, Non Active Router
00-00-5E-00-01-xx
Burned In MAC, Roles not assigned in GLBP
0x00-07-B4-00-XX-YY, Roles assigned in GLBP

Ethernet Type Field Values

Protocol Type
IPv4
ARP
IPv6
MPLS Unicast
MPLS Multicast

Protocol Value

Maximum Throughput Calculation

Protocol Overhead- (Frame Size - Payload Size)/ Frame Size
Protocol Efficiency- Payload Size/ Frame Size
Throughput- Efficiency * Net Bit Rate

Layer2
Layer2 MAC OverHead
Frame Header
14 bytes / 18 Bytes

Layer4 UDP OverHead

UDP Header
8 Bytes

Layer2
Layer2 MAC OverHead
Frame Header
14 bytes / 18 Bytes

Layer3
Layer2 Payload
Payload
42/46 - 1500 Bytes

Layer2 MAC OverHead

Frame Trailer
4 Bytes

Layer4 Payload
Payload
Variable

Layer2 Payload
Payload
42/46 - 1500 Bytes

Layer2 MAC OverHead

Frame Trailer
4 Bytes

Layer3 IPv4 Packet Size

0 - 1500 Bytes

Layer3 IPv4 OverHead

IPv4 Header
20 - 60 Bytes

Frame Header Length is 14 bytes, Frame Trailer Length is 4 bytes and the L2PDU length reaches 18 bytes.

an Ethernet trailer at the end. IEEE 802.2 / 802.3 standards.

40
r2 OverHead
2 MAC Header

47

48

55

56

63

Source MAC Address

Length

32
Layer2 OverHead

r2 OverHead

39

40

47

Layer2 SNAP Extension Header

OUI
Protocol Identifier

48

55

2 MAC Header

40
r2 OverHead
2 MAC Header

Source MAC Address

Type

47

48

55

56

63

Source MAC Address

802.1Q Header

Vlan Identifier (12 Bits)

Type Field - Identifies the 802.1Q Structure inside of the Frame Structure.
Priority Code Point- Class of Service QoS.
Vlan Identifier- 0 to 4096 Vlan Identifiers.

Vendor Assigned (NIC Cards, Interfaces)

24 Bits
6 Hex Digits

ress Format
8

1000

1001

1010

1011

B
Hexadecimal Representation Format

7F-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF. Protocol related MAC Address Range from 01-00-5E- to 01-00-5E-FF-FF-FF.

for the 1st 24 bits.

17
0001

132

0001

17

0100

0000

0110

0001

0001

ader structure adding/removing the 802.1Q (Dot1Q) Vlan Tagging.

s type of forwarding will reduce the number of collision based error frames on the medium.

fact that the FCS is in the trailer part of the packet and will be verified at the end of the frame reception.

medium to communicate. Since they can all communicate possibly at the same time, collisions can appear.
will stop sending any other data. Each device will have its own random timer which will run afterwards.
port. This mechanism applies to modern ethernet based networks.

ned. Every device can learn MAC addresses from the frames it receives on its own interfaces.
inside of the CAM, then forward the frame on the corresponding interface.
on. Flooding is the process by which a device sends the frame out all of its active interfaces.
rn can be manually configured MAC Addresses or local MAC Addresses.
s fact, when the inactivity timer reaches 0, then the MAC address will be flushed from the CAM.

ce they will not be contained in the Source MAC Address Field.

easing throughput utilization and giving the Bridge,

s before, only Routers could traditionally segment Broadcast Domains.

ll have its Vlan Tag checked.

Protocol Name
PAgP
LACP
DTP
CDP
OSPFv2
OSPFv2
EIGRP

The EtherType/Length field is used to predict which protocol will follow after Layer2 MAC.
When Length field is used, the addressing will be supplimented with the 802.2 LLC Header and SNAP Extension.

Destination MAC
01-00-0C-CC-CC-CC
01-80-C2-00-00-02
01-00-0C-CC-CC-CC
01-00-0C-CC-CC-CC
01-00-5E-00-00-06 (All DR Address)
01-00-5E-00-00-05 (All SPF Address)
01-00-5E-00-00-0A

Layer3
Layer3 IPv6 Packet
Size
0 - 1500 Bytes

Layer3 IPv6 OverHead

IPv6 Header
40 Bytes

Layer3 Payload
Payload
Variable

1100
1101
1110
1111

Source MAC

Burned In MAC Address

Burned In MAC Address