What is a common symptom of a broadcast storm in a network?

A broadcast storm occurs when there is an excessive amount of broadcast traffic on the network, often caused by misconfigured switches, network loops, or faulty devices. As a result, the network becomes overloaded with broadcast frames, which can dramatically slow down or even halt network performance entirely. This saturation can lead to significant delays in data packets being sent and received, thereby causing slow connections and outages for users.

In this scenario, the correct answer identifies a common and recognizable symptom that network administrators can observe during a broadcast storm. Recognizing this symptom is crucial for troubleshooting and mitigating network performance issues caused by such conditions.