Final answer:
Self-learning switches reduce collisions by associating MAC addresses with switch ports and forwarding frames only to the intended recipient. They can eliminate collisions in Ethernet LANs when devices operate in full-duplex mode.
Step-by-step explanation:
Self-learning switches help reduce collisions in an Ethernet LAN through a process called MAC address learning. When a switch receives a frame, it reads the source MAC address and associates it with the switch port the frame arrived on. This way, the switch builds a table, known as the MAC address table or forwarding table, that maps MAC addresses to the corresponding switch ports.
When a frame is destined for a particular MAC address, the switch looks up the MAC address in its table. If the MAC address is found, the switch forwards the frame only to the port associated with that MAC address, eliminating the need to flood the frame to all ports. This feature helps reduce collisions by minimizing the amount of unnecessary network traffic.
Self-learning switches can eliminate the collision phenomenon in an Ethernet LAN in cases where each device connected to the network operates at full-duplex. Full-duplex communication allows for simultaneous transmission and reception of data, eliminating the possibility of collisions. In this scenario, each device has a dedicated connection to the switch, ensuring that collisions do not occur.