What forwarding method is also known as runtless switching?

The term "runtless switching" refers specifically to the fragment-free forwarding method. This method combines elements of both cut-through and store-and-forward switching techniques. Fragment-free switching analyzes the first 64 bytes of the incoming data frames to check for collision and ensures that these shorter frames, or "runt" frames, which are typically caused by collisions, are not forwarded. As a result, only frames that are likely to be complete and valid are switched through the network, making it efficient and reducing the likelihood of network congestion due to corrupted data.

In contrast, other forwarding methods like store-and-forward switch the entire frame, which can introduce latency, while cut-through switching provides a lower latency by beginning to forward the frame as soon as the destination address is read, and does not check for errors. Adaptive switching can switch between modes but does not specifically address the issues related to runt frames. The focus on preventing runt frames makes the fragment-free method distinct in handling frame transmission, leading to its identification as runtless switching.