CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)Networking ConceptsMedium
A network engineer configures an Ethernet interface to support frames larger than the standard 1500-byte MTU to improve throughput for a storage area network. What is this feature called?
- APort aggregation
- BFrame relay
- CVLAN tagging
- DJumbo frames
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Jumbo frames
Jumbo frames allow Ethernet payloads larger than the standard 1500-byte MTU, typically up to 9000 bytes, reducing per-frame overhead and improving throughput for high-bandwidth applications like storage traffic, provided all devices in the path support them.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Port aggregation (link bundling) combines multiple physical links into one logical link, not frame size.
- B. Frame relay is an older WAN packet-switching technology unrelated to Ethernet MTU size.
- C. VLAN tagging adds an 802.1Q tag for segmentation, not related to frame size increases.
Jumbo Frames
Jumbo frames are Ethernet frames with a payload larger than the standard 1500-byte MTU, often up to 9000 bytes, used to reduce overhead and boost throughput.
- Typical jumbo frame size is up to 9000 bytes
- All devices in the path must support jumbo frames to avoid fragmentation
- Commonly used in storage networks (iSCSI, NFS) and data centers
Memory trick: Jumbo frames are the 'oversized suitcase' carrying more data per trip.