|
Posted by Herb Martin on April 12, 2005, 11:29 pm
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
> To all the Cisco Experts.
>
> What is the difference between a router and a layer 3 switch?
Let's try the simple answer and see if you need more:
A (plain) router doesn't have the ability to make the
rapid and temporary physical/electrical connections
that (any of) the switches make.
A layer three switch, commonly called a switch-router,
is a switch which uses routing protocols and methods
to decide which connections to actually make.
(As opposed to a layer-2 or bridge type router which
typically uses MAC addresses to make such decisions.)
A router (switch or not) is always (network) protocol
specific and uses the logical address and the specific
routing protocols of that network protocol to make
decisions.
If someone points at a device and says, "This router
is NOT protocol specific since it routers some/all of
IP, IPX, AppleTalk etc..." then notice that for EACH
of these network protocols the routing is done separately,
using the logical (e.g., IP) address of that protocol and
the routing protocols and methods specific to that network
protocol.
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML site map