Difference between layer 2 and layer 3 Cisco switch Layer 2 switch operates by utilizing Mac addresses in it's caching

table to quickly pass information from port to port. A layer 3 switch on the other hand utilizes !" addresses to pass information from port to port. #enerally LA$ switching is a form of packet switching used in local area networks. %asically a layer 2 switch operates utilizing Mac addresses in it's caching table to quickly pass information from port to port. A layer 3 switch utilizes !" addresses to do the same. &hile the pre'ious e(planation is the )&hat) for folks in networking the following )*ow) is far more interesting. +ssentially A layer 2 switch is essentially a multiport transparent bridge. A layer 2 switch will learn about MA, addresses connected to each port and passes frames marked for those ports. !t also knows that if a frame is sent out a port but is looking for the MA, address of the port it is connected to and drop that frame. &hereas a single ,"- %ridge runs in serial todays hardware based switches run in hybrid as one can imagine of a router and a switch. .here are different types of layer 3 switching route caching andtopology/based. !n route caching the switch required both a 0oute "rocessor 10"2 and a 3witch +ngine 13+2. .he 0" must listen to the first packet to determine the destination. At that point the 3witch +ngine makes a shortcut entry in the caching table for the rest of the 3witch +ngine makes a shortcut entry in the caching table for the rest of the packets to follow. 4ue to ad'ancement in processing power and drastic reductions in the cost of memory today's higher end layer 3 switches implement a topology/based switching which builds a lookup table and and poputlates it with the entire network's topology. .he database is held in hardware and is referenced there to maintain high throughput. !t utilizes the longest address match as the layer 3 destination. $ow when and why would one use a l2 's l3 's a router5 3imply put a router will generally sit at the gateway between a pri'ate and a public network. A router can perform $A. whereas an l3 switch cannot 1imagine a switch that had the topology entries for the +$.!0+ !nternet662. !n a small 'ery flat network 1meaning only one pri'ate network range for the whole site2 a L2 switch to connect all the ser'ers and clients to the internet is probably going to suffice. Larger networks or those with the need to contain broadcast traffic or those utilizing 78!" a multi network approach utilizing 7LA$s is appropriate and when one is utilizing 7LA$s L3 switches are a natural fit. &hile a router on a stick scenario can work it can quickly o'erta( a router if there is any significant inter'lan traffic since the router must make complicated routing decisions for e'ery packet that it recie'es. The Characteristics between the layer 2 and layer 3 Layer 2 switches themsel'es act as !" end nodes for 3imple $etwork Management "rotocol 13$M"2 management .elnet and &eb based management. 3uch management functionality in'ol'es the presence of an !" stack on the router along with -ser 4atagram "rotocol 1-4"2 .ransmission ,ontrol "rotocol 1.,"2 .elnet and 3$M" functions. .he switches themsel'es ha'e a MA, address so that they can be addressed as a Layer 2
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end node while also pro'iding transparent switch functions. Layer 2 switching does not in general in'ol'e changing the MA, frame. *owe'er there are situations when switches change the MA, frame. .he !+++ 9:2.;< ,ommittee is working on a 7LA$ standard that in'ol'es 5tagging5 a MA, frame with the 7LA$ it belongs to= this tagging process in'ol'es changing the MA, frame. %ridging technology also in'ol'es the 3panning/.ree "rotocol. .his is required in a multibridge network to a'oid loops. .he same principles also apply towards Layer 2 switches and most commercial Layer 2 switches support the 3panning/.ree "rotocol. .he pre'ious discussion pro'ides an outline of Layer 2 switching func/tions. Layer 2 switching is MA, frame based does not in'ol'e altering the MA, frame in general and pro'ides transparent switching in par/allel with MA, frames. 3ince these switches operate at Layer 2 they are protocol independent. *owe'er Layer 2 switching does not scale well because of broadcasts. Although 7LA$s alle'iate this problem to some e(tent there is definitely a need for machines on different 7LA$s to communicate. 8ne e(ample is the situation where an orga/nization has multiple intranet ser'ers on separate subnets 1and hence 7LA$s2 causing a lot of intersubnet traffic. !n such cases use of a router is una'oidable= Layer 3 switches enter at this point. Layer 3 3witches Layer 3 switching is a relati'ely new term which has been 5e(tended5 by a numerous 'endors to describe their products. >or e(ample one school uses this term to describe fast !" routing 'ia hardware while another school uses it to describe Multi "rotocol 8'er A.M 1M"8A2. >or the purpose of this discussion Layer 3 switches are superfast rout/ers that do Layer 3 forwarding in hardware. !n this article we will mainly discuss Layer 3 switching in the conte(t of fast !" routing with a brief discussion of the other areas of application.

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