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:
• What Are Private IP Addresses?
• Looking at the OSI 7 Layer Reference Model
• Video - Network Layer (Layer 3) of OSI Networking Model
• IPv4 Address Classes
• Evolution of the Microsoft NOS (Active Directory)
• Session Border Controllers - More Than Just a Voice Firewall
• A Simple Description of the IPv6 Header and Datagram
• Unicast, Multicast, Broadcast. What Does It Mean?
• VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol)
• The OSI Reference Model
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