Cisco Certified Network Professional 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) is a highly efficient mechanism used for switching packets in a network. The primary method CEF utilizes for switching is hardware offload, which allows for faster packet processing compared to traditional software-based methods.

With CEF, the decision-making process regarding how to forward packets is handled by specialized hardware components rather than relying on the CPU to manage these functions through software-based processes. This offloading significantly improves the performance of routers and switches because the hardware can process packets at higher speeds with lower latency.

In contrast to CPU-based routing or software processes, which can introduce higher overhead and processing delays, CEF's hardware-supported operation leverages data plane capabilities that allow for scalable and efficient packet switching. This architecture makes CEF particularly suited for high-performance environments where speed and efficiency are critical.

Legacy methods typically refer to older routing and switching techniques that may not be as efficient or capable of handling the demands of modern, high-throughput networking. Thus, focusing on hardware offloading allows CEF to address those demands effectively by using dedicated resources for switching tasks.