Which device creates multiple smaller collision domains while maintaining one large broadcast domain?

The correct answer is a switch. A switch operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and is responsible for directing traffic on a local area network (LAN). By establishing individual collision domains for each connected device, a switch minimizes the chances of data collisions within those domains. Each port on a switch represents a separate collision domain, allowing for full-duplex communication, which means that data can be sent and received simultaneously.

Despite creating multiple smaller collision domains, a switch maintains a single large broadcast domain for all devices connected to it. This means that broadcast messages sent by one device can still reach all devices within that broadcast domain, enabling necessary communication for functions like ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) requests.

In contrast, routers create separate broadcast domains and are used to connect different networks, thus preventing broadcast traffic from flowing freely between them. Hubs and bridges do not offer the same collision domain segmentation as switches, as hubs operate in a single collision domain for all connected devices, leading to potential data collisions. Bridges, while they can segment collision domains, still connect similar networks together without the same efficiency as a switch.