Computer Network Switches
By Stephen Bucaro

A bridge or router may be referred to as a "switch" because it uses information in the
data packet to choose a path from one network segment to another. A bridge may be referred to
as a "layer 2 switch" because it uses information from layer 2, the Data Link layer of
the OSI model. A router may be referred to as a "layer 3 switch" because it uses information
from layer 3, the Network layer of the OSI model. A network device that uses a higher layer of
the OSI model may be referred to as a "layer 4 switch", and so on.
More Networking Protocols and Standards: • Understanding IP Routing • Looking at the OSI 7 Layer Reference Model • Routing Datagrams • Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), and Routing Convergence • Wireless Network Standards - 80211a, 80211b, 80211g, 80211n, 80216 • Active Directory : How Objects Are Stored and Identified • IPv6 Dynamic Address Allocation • SYN-ACK Handshake to Establish a TCP Connection • RADIUS Protocol • Networking Routing Believability and Administrative Distance
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