How can you disable MAC address table aging?

Disabling MAC address table aging is effectively accomplished by configuring the MAC aging timer to zero. In a switched Ethernet environment, the MAC address table, or Content Addressable Memory (CAM) table, stores MAC addresses to facilitate packet forwarding. Each entry in this table has a timeout value, known as the aging timer, which determines how long a MAC address will remain in the table if it is not seen on the network.

When the aging timer is set to zero, it means that entries in the MAC address table will not age out, allowing the switch to retain the MAC addresses indefinitely until the switch is rebooted or the table is manually cleared. This can be useful in environments with static devices that do not frequently change, but it should be noted that it can lead to increased memory consumption on the switch.

Setting MAC addresses to static does indeed prevent them from aging out by creating a permanent entry in the MAC address table. However, this method is typically used for specific known devices rather than a blanket approach to disabling aging for all MAC addresses.

Disabling the switch interface and resetting the switch configuration do not directly relate to the MAC address aging process. Disabling the interface simply turns off traffic flowing through that port, and resetting the switch would clear the configuration