What defines Store-and-Forward Switching?

Store-and-Forward Switching is characterized by the method in which a switch handles incoming data frames. Specifically, this technique requires the switch to receive the entire frame before any forwarding occurs. After the full frame is received, the switch performs error checking, typically by examining the frame's cyclic redundancy check (CRC). If the frame passes this integrity check, it is then forwarded to the intended destination port.

This approach helps ensure that only error-free frames are transmitted across the network, which can enhance the overall reliability and performance. The delay introduced by waiting for the entire frame to arrive is often balanced by the benefits of improved error detection and reduced chances of propagating errors throughout the network.

In contrast, other methods like cut-through switching forward frames as soon as the destination address is processed, which does not include error checking for the entire frame, and thus may forward corrupted frames.