Use the display mac-address and display bridge mac-address commands to view MAC addresses on Huawei core switches.

Key Commands

1. Display the MAC address table Use the command display mac-address to view all learned MAC addresses on the switch, including the associated VLAN, outbound interface, and entry type. You can filter by specific MAC address, VLAN, or interface:

   display mac-address [mac-address] [vlan vlan-id | vsi vsi-name] display mac-address [vlan vlan-id | interface-type interface-number] This command helps identify which devices are connected to which ports and VLANs on the switch .

2. Display the system or bridge MAC address The command display bridge mac-address shows the switch's system MAC address, which is also used for management interfaces, Layer 2 physical interfaces, and Layer 2 Eth-Trunk interfaces .
3. Display interface-specific MAC addresses To view MAC addresses assigned to specific interfaces, including Layer 3 interfaces or sub-interfaces, use:

   display interface This provides the MAC address for each interface, which may differ from the system MAC address for Layer 3 or sub-interfaces .

4. Additional useful commands
   • display arp – shows IP-to-MAC mappings for devices that have communicated with the switch .
   • display interface brief – shows interface status, speed, and duplex, useful for correlating MAC addresses to active ports .
   • display lldp neighbor – lists connected devices and their MAC addresses via LLDP, helpful for network topology mapping .

Understanding MAC Address Types

• System MAC address: The main device MAC, used by management and Layer 2 interfaces.
• Interface MAC addresses: Unique to VLANIF, Layer 3 interfaces, sub-interfaces, and Eth-Trunks.
• Physical MAC addresses: Globally unique hardware addresses for terminals.
• Broadcast and multicast MAC addresses: Used for sending packets to all devices or groups of devices on a LAN .

Practical Tips

• Use the verbose option to get detailed information about each MAC entry.
• Filter by VLAN or interface to quickly locate specific devices.
• Combine display mac-address with display arp to map IP addresses to MAC addresses for troubleshooting.
• Regularly check the MAC address table to monitor network activity and detect unauthorized devices. By using these commands and understanding the MAC address types, you can efficiently manage and monitor Huawei core switches, ensuring proper network operation and security .