Which switching method is a hybrid of Store-and-Forward and Cut-Through, storing the first 64 bytes before forwarding?

• A. Store-and-forward
• B. Cut-through
• C. Layer-2 switching
• D. Fragment-free

Answer: (D)

In Ethernet switching, there are strategies that balance speed with error checking. Fragment-free is a hybrid approach that stores the first 64 bytes of a frame—the minimum valid Ethernet frame size—before forwarding. This buffering lets the switch confirm the frame isn’t a runt or corrupted due to a collision, then it forwards the rest as it arrives. It gives lower latency than waiting for the entire frame (store-and-forward) while avoiding the risk of sending short or malformed frames (a risk with the most aggressive, immediate-forward approach). So, storing the first 64 bytes before forwarding is exactly how fragment-free works.