When compared to layer 2 switching, layer 3 routing is relatively slower. This means you can’t do away with routers completely and you’ll need both routers and layer 3 switches for routing traffic within and outside your organization. Lack of WAN functionality is another major disadvantage with layer 3 switches. Homes and small organizations do not need these switches.
Layer 3 switches are most applicable only for large intranet environments with many device subnets and traffic. So, an organization should be ready to spend extra resources to set up layer 3 switches. It costs much more than a traditional switch and configuring and administering these switches also requires more effort. CostĬost is one of the major downsides to a layer 3 switch. We’ll briefly look into each of these disadvantages to help you make the right decision. Just like any product, a layer 3 switch also comes with its own share of downsides. So, it became necessary to augment layer 2’s functionality. But these switches would hang when traffic increased. Layer 2 switches work well when there is low to medium traffic in VLANs. To understand the purpose, let’s step back a bit in time to see how these switches evolved. Originally, layer 3 switches were conceived to improve routing performance on large networks, especially corporate intranets. So, how does this layer 3 switch fit into this model? Also, the name “layer 3 switch” causes confusion because switches typically operate from layer 2. There is a ton of confusion about the use of a layer 3 switch because in a traditional setup, routers operate at layer 3 of the OSI model while switches operate at layer 2.
Performs on two OSI layers - layer 2 and layer 3.Switching algorithm is simple and is the same for most routed protocols.Acts as a switch to connect devices within the same subnet.Comes with 24 Ethernet ports, but no WAN interface.Often referred to as a multilayer switch, a layer 3 switch adds a ton of flexibility to a network. This is how a layer 3 switch acts as both a switch and a router. It can support routing protocols, inspect incoming packets, and can even make routing decisions based on the source and destination addresses. It acts as a switch to connect devices that are on the same subnet or virtual LAN at lightning speeds and has IP routing intelligence built into it to double up as a router. Simply put, a layer 3 switch combines the functionality of a switch and a router. But do you need this in your network? Let’s see. In today’s complex enterprise networks comprising many subnets and virtual LANs, a layer 3 switch plays an important role in many systems.
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