Default Mac Address Table Configuration; Changing The Address Aging Time - Cisco 2950 - Catalyst Switch Configuration Manual

Chapter 8 Administering the Switch

Default MAC Address Table Configuration

Table 8-3
Table 8-3
Feature
Aging time
Dynamic addresses
Static addresses

Changing the Address Aging Time

Dynamic addresses are source MAC addresses that the switch learns and then ages when they are not in
use. The aging time parameter defines how long the switch retains unseen addresses. This parameter
applies to all VLANs.
Setting too short an aging time can cause addresses to be prematurely removed from the table. Then
when the switch receives a packet for an unknown destination, it floods the packet to all ports in the same
VLAN as the receiving port. This unnecessary flooding can impact performance. Setting too long an
aging time can cause the address table to be filled with unused addresses, which prevents new addresses
from being learned.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the dynamic address table aging
time:
Command
Step 1 configure terminal
Step 2
mac address-table aging-time [0 |
10-1000000]
Step 3
end
Step 4
show mac address-table aging-time
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config
To return to the default value, use the no mac address-table aging-time global configuration command.
78-11380-10
shows the default MAC address table configuration.
Default MAC Address Table Configuration
Default Setting
300 seconds
Automatically learned
None configured
Purpose
Enter global configuration mode.
Set the length of time that a dynamic entry remains in the MAC
address table after the entry is used or updated.
The range is 10 to 1000000 seconds. The default is 300. You can also
enter 0, which disables aging. Static address entries are never aged
or removed from the table.
Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Verify your entries.
(Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
Managing the MAC Address Table
8-23