Which address type is used to send frames to all devices in a Local Area Network?

In a Local Area Network (LAN), the address type that is employed to send frames to all devices is known as a broadcast address. When a frame is broadcasted, it is intended for every device on the network segment rather than a specific individual device. This is particularly critical in scenarios where information needs to be disseminated to all devices without the sender needing to address each one individually. When a device sends out a broadcast frame, it uses a special broadcast MAC address, typically represented as FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF, which is recognized by all devices on the same LAN, prompting them to receive and process the message.

In contrast, unicast addresses are used for one-to-one communication, anycast addresses are designated for routing to one of the multiple possible receivers, and multicast addresses are meant for one-to-many communication, where a message is sent to a specific group of devices rather than to all devices within the network. Understanding this distinction helps in grasping how data is managed and transmitted within a network environment.