Broadcast domain
From Free net encyclopedia
A broadcast domain is a logical area in a computer network where any computer connected to the computer network can directly transmit to any other in the domain without having to go through a routing device, providing they share the same subnet and gateway address and are in the same VLAN, (default or installed). (If VLANS are installed on a switch, a router will be needed to route between VLANS in the same network).
More specifically it is an area of the computer network made up of all the computers and networking devices able to be reached by sending a frame to the data link layer broadcast address.
In a very basic network where hubs are used to connect the computers, rather than switches or routers, you could say it's pretty much like the post office clerk checking the mail. One clerk has to look at mail every time to confirm that the mail is not for himself/herself. So when one mail (signal) is sent from one point, all the other points in the network will have to check in order to confirm that the mail (signal) is not for themselves.
Compare with Collision domain.de:Broadcast-Domäne fr:Domaine de diffusion he:מתחם שידור ru:Широковещательный домен