In the context of physical separation, what separates collision domains?

In networking, collision domains refer to the environments where packet collisions can occur when two devices attempt to send data at the same time on a shared communication medium. In this context, devices that separate collision domains effectively allow for multiple devices to communicate without interfering with each other.

Switches are a key technology used to manage and create separate collision domains. Each port on a switch operates as a separate collision domain, meaning that when a device connected to one port sends data, it does not collide with data being transmitted by a device on another port. This is crucial for network performance as it reduces the chances of collisions and allows for full-duplex communication, where devices can send and receive data simultaneously without interference.

While routers, firewalls, and bridges serve important roles in network management and security, they function differently in regard to collision domains. Routers are primarily used to separate broadcast domains and manage traffic between different networks. Firewalls are focused on security and inspecting traffic rather than managing collision domains. Bridges can also reduce collision domains; however, their primary function is to extend networks and connect different segments rather than create multiple collision domains efficiently like switches do.

Thus, the role of switches in segmenting networks into individual collision domains makes them the correct choice in this context.