What happens when the MAC Address table becomes full?

When the MAC Address table becomes full, it will time out the oldest record in the table to make space for new MAC addresses. This behavior is part of the dynamic learning process of switches in a local area network (LAN). As switches learn new devices connected to their ports, they add the MAC addresses to this table for efficient frame forwarding. However, each entry in the MAC Address table has a timeout period after which it is removed if that MAC address is not seen again.

When the table reaches its maximum capacity, the switch needs to manage the entries actively. Typically, it will keep track of the timestamps for each entry and, as new devices are detected, it will remove the oldest entry that has timed out to accommodate the new address. This way, the switch ensures that it can still learn about and communicate effectively with newly connected devices without losing the ability to manage traffic efficiently.

The other options do not accurately describe the behavior of a switch when the MAC Address table is full, making this understanding crucial for maintaining network performance and reliability.