Layer 3 Switches Explained

Layer 3 switches are becoming more and more common in the Enterprise. After
reading this tip, youll know the difference between a switch, a router, and a
Layer 3 switch. Youll also understand what to look for when shopping for Layer 3
switches.
Layer 3 Switches Eplained
!he following article was originally posted at Search"etworking.com#Layer 3
Switches Eplained and it is reproduced with their permission.
Let$s say that the switches in your data center or wiring closet are old. You know
that you need to replace them and ha%e heard about Layer 3 switches. &ut what
is a Layer 3 switch, what can it do for you, and how does it differ from a regular
switch or router' Let$s find out.
(ow do switches and routers work'
&efore defining what a Layer 3 switch is, let$s make sure that we are all on
common ground and understand what a regular switch and a router do.
A switch works at Layer ) of the *S+ model ,data-link.. +t is a LA" de%ice that can
also be called a multi-port bridge. A switch switches Ethernet frames between
Ethernet de%ices. Switches do not care about +/ addresses nor do they e%en
eamine +/ addresses as the frames flow through the switch. (owe%er, unlike a
hub that 0ust duplicates data and sends it out all ports, switches keep a bridge-
forwarding table that shows what 1A2 addresses ha%e been seen on what port.
+n the 2isco world, the bridge-forwarding table is called a 2A1 !able, or 2ontent
Addressable 1emory table. +f a switch recei%es an Ethernet frame for a
destination that it doesn$t ha%e in its table, it floods that frame out to all ports ,like
a hub does all the time.. (owe%er, the switch learns from the response of that
flood and records the response to that frame in its forwarding table for the net
time. Switches form collision domains. +n other words, the switches 3play traffic
cop3 with the inbound frames by buffering each packet before switching it. !his
way, there are no collisions and, to each de%ice connected to the switch, it seems
like that de%ice has its own Ethernet segment and can talk at full speed, without
risk of collisions.
A router, on the other hand, works at Layer 3 of the *S+ model ,"etwork.. +t is a
4A" de%ice that connects a LA" to a 4A" or a sub netted LA" to another sub
netted LA". A router routes IP packets between +/ networks. 5outers do this
using an +/ routing table. +n that table, they ha%e either static or dynamic routes.
4hen an +/ packet comes in, the router looks up the destination +/ in the +/
routing table. +f that destination +/ is not found in the table the router drops the
packet, unless it has a default route. 5outers form broadcast domains because
they drop broadcast packets.
(ow does a Layer 3 switch work'
A Layer 3 switch works much like a router because it has the same +/ routing
table for lookups and it forms a broadcast domain. (owe%er, the 3switch3 part of
3Layer 3 switch3 is there because#
6. !he layer 3 switch looks like a switch. +t has )78 Ethernet ports and no
4A" interfaces.
). !he layer 3 switch will act like a switch when it is connecting de%ices that
are on the same network.
3. !he layer 3 switch is the same as a switch with the router$s +/ routing
intelligence built in.
7. !he switch works %ery 9uickly to switch or route the packets it is sent.
+n other words, the Layer 3 switch is really like a high-speed router without the
4A" connecti%ity.
You might be asking yourself why you would want the routing functionality of a
router in your switch if you don$t ha%e 4A" interfaces. 4ell, the routing
functionality of the Layer 3 switch is there to route between different subnets or
:LA"s on a campus LA" or any sort of large LA". !his means that the Layer 3
switch is really for large Ethernet networks that need to subnet into smaller
networks. 1ost of the time, this is done using :LA"s.
4hen it comes to Layer 3 switching, there are two kinds# hardware and software.
4ith a hardware-based solution, the de%ice is using an AS+2 ,a dedicated chip.
to perform the function. 4ith the software implementation, the de%ice is using a
computer processor and software to perform the function. ;enerally, Layer 3
switches and high-end routers route packets using hardware ,AS+2s. and
general-purpose routers use software to perform routing functions.
4hat is a :LA"'
A :LA" is a %irtual LA". !his %irtual LA" is also an +/ subnet. !he difference
between 0ust subnetting a network and using :LA"s is the fleibility that :LA"s
can pro%ide for your LA" subnetting. (ere is an eample# Say that you ha%e a
single switch port in one :LA", in one building. *ne hundred yards away, you
can ha%e another switch port, in another building. &oth of those switch ports can
be in the same :LA" and only those two switch ports can talk, despite the fact
that they are separated by multiple buildings and are connected by a 6<< yard
fiber optic cable. 4ithout a :LA", this type of organi=ation wouldn$t be possible.
+n a traditional :LA", switches tag the :LA" traffic, and only the de%ices on the
same :LA" can communicate with one another. +f de%ices on different :LA"s
need to communicate, they would talk to each other %ia a trunk port on a router.
!hat trunk port and the processing power of the router would create a bottleneck
for communications. 4ith a Layer 3 switch, routing and trunking are performed at
%ery high speeds.
&esides the functionality mentioned abo%e, a :LA" has a number of other
features such as#
/erformance > broadcast control
Segregating departments or pro0ect networks
Security
!his article can$t begin to co%er all that you need to know about :LA"s. 4hat
you need to know is that Layer 3 switches are used to make :LA"s easier and
faster. Layer 3 switches make :LA"s easier to configure because you don$t need
a separate router between :LA"s. All the routing can be done right on the
switch. Layer 3 switches make :LA"s faster because they eliminate the
bottleneck that results from a router forming a single link between :LA"s.
?o + need a Layer 3 switch'
You should in%estigate getting a Layer 3 switch if you can answer yes to any of
the following 9uestions#
?o you ha%e a network with a lot of broadcasts that needs better
performance'
?o you ha%e subnets and@or :LA"s that are currently connected %ia a
router'
?o you need higher performance :LA"s'
?o departments need their own broadcast domains for performance or
security'
Are you considering implementing :LA"s'
Article summary
(ere is what we ha%e learned#
5outers work at Layer 3 and route +/ packets between networks.
Switches work at Layer ) and switch Ethernet frames between Ethernet
de%ices.
Aor some of the higher-end 2isco switches, enabling Layer 3 switching is
simply a software upgrade a%ailable for a fee.
Layer 3 switches are used primarily for inter-:LA" routing.
Layer 3 switches don$t ha%e 4A" connecti%ity