Collision Domains
- layer 1 of the OSI model
- a hub is an entire collision domain since it forwards every bit it receives from one interface on every other interfaces
- a bridge is a two interfaces device that creates 2 collision domains, since it forwards the traffic it receives from one interface only to the interface where the destination layer 2 device (based on his mac address) is connected to. A bridge is considered as an "intelligent hub" since it reads the destination mac address in order to forward the traffic only to the interface where it is connected
- a switch is a multi-interface hub, every interface on a switch is a collision domain. A 24 interfaces switch creates 24 collision domains (assuming every interface is connected to something, VLAN don't have any importance here since VLANs are a layer 2 concept, not layer 1 like collision domains , if the 24 port switch has only 20 ports to be up, then it has only 20 collision domain )
Broadcast Domains
- layer 2 of the OSI model
- a switch creates an entire broadcast domain (provided that there's only one VLAN) since broadcasts are a layer 2 concept (mac address related) , A vlan itself is a broadcast domain, suppose there are two vlans in the swith then there are 2 broadcast domain.
- routers don't forward layer 2 broadcasts, hence they separate broadcast domains