MAC address table - Switches maintain one table per VLAN

Switches maintain MAC address tables which are constructs, typically stored in CAM type memory, that correspond MAC addresses with physical interfaces on which those addresses have been detected. Each VLAN that has been configured within a switch maintains its own MAC address table.

However, when you want to display the MAC Address Table, the device consolidates all of the MAC address tables into a single set of output, indicating on which VLAN each MAC address has been observed. For example, the following is a partial output of a production switch that has MAC addresses corresponding to multiple VLANs.

core_3850#show mac address-table Mac Address Table ------------------------------------------- Vlan Mac Address Type Ports ---- ----------- -------- ----- All 0100.0ccc.cccc STATIC CPU All 0100.0ccc.cccd STATIC CPU All 0100.0ccc.ccce STATIC CPU All 0180.c200.0000 STATIC CPU All ffff.ffff.ffff STATIC CPU 1 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 1 00c8.8baa.6499 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/3 100 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 100 00c8.8b64.bed1 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 110 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 110 042a.e23e.64cd STATIC Vl110 120 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 120 042a.e23e.64c8 STATIC Vl120 121 0015.5d07.b000 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 121 0015.5d07.b001 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 122 0024.1dc6.28cb DYNAMIC Gi1/0/3 122 00c0.ee13.57f2 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 155 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 155 042a.e23e.64cd STATIC Vl155 200 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 200 042a.e23e.64e2 STATIC Vl200 220 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 220 042a.e23e.64dd STATIC Vl220 221 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 221 00ca.e540.bb20 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/5 600 0000.0c07.aca0 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/1 600 042a.e23e.64d6 STATIC Vl600 601 0000.0c07.aca1 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/1 601 042a.e23e.64fd STATIC Vl601 707 001c.c073.22b5 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/3 707 00a0.0307.892d DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 123 042a.e23e.64da STATIC Vl123 552 042a.e23e.64d5 STATIC Vl552 804 0000.0c07.ac68 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/1 804 0000.4845.04ee DYNAMIC Gi1/0/1 904 0000.0c07.accc DYNAMIC Gi1/0/1 904 3cce.73ac.37c5 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 119 00ca.e526.1b19 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 140 0017.c84a.d796 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 140 0017.c84c.b9f9 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 150 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 310 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 320 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 320 36de.f8bc.e6aa DYNAMIC Gi1/0/5 507 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 507 1242.d23f.b117 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/5 720 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 797 00ca.e526.1b19 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 797 e063.dac6.fd98 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 124 00ca.e526.1b19 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 124 0c73.2927.45e0 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/2 400 00c8.8b64.be99 DYNAMIC Gi1/0/4 Total Mac Addresses for this criterion: 788 core_3850#

It is possible to limit the output to particular VLANs by issuing additional keywords like so:

Switch# show mac address-table vlan 1

Links:

https://networklessons.com/switching/how-does-a-switch-learn-mac-addresses

https://community.cisco.com/t5/switching/mac-address-table-per-vlan/td-p/1047883

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750x_3560x/software/release/15-2_2_e/command/reference/CR_3750X/cli2.html#pgfId-1942455