Layer 3 Switch Network Diagram

You can show a switch on a layer 3 diagram only if it s a layer 3 switch and then only because it functions as a router.

Layer 3 switch network diagram. Layer 3 networks are built to run on on layer 2 networks. 3a subnetwork access 3b subnetwork dependent convergence and 3c subnetwork independent convergence. A layer 3 switch is a specialized hardware device used in network routing. Including layer 2 objects like a switch in a layer 3 diagram is confusing particularly in more complicated pictures.

The biggest single problem i m seeing when working on enterprise networks is the lack of l3 logical network diagrams. Also logical diagrams are in many cases more valuable than. The layer 3 switch can perform ip routing access list vlans configuration and more so half of the work of the router is done by the layer 3 switch. Let s go through it with the help of an example.

Some switches can also forward data at the network layer layer 3 by additionally incorporating routing functionality. Layer 2 vs layer 3 switch. Often referred to as a multilayer switch a layer 3 switch adds a ton of flexibility to a network. A router works with ip addresses at layer 3 of the model.

I ll put a link below where you ll can. This requires stripping off the datalink layer frame information. This is how a layer 3 switch acts as both a switch and a router. A layer 2 switch works with mac addresses only and does not care about ip address or any items of higher layers.

It can support routing protocols inspect incoming packets and can even make routing decisions based on the source and destination addresses. This is also the biggest difference lies between layer 2 switch and layer 3 switch. L3 diagrams are vital for troubleshooting or for planning changes. In an ip layer 3 network the ip portion of the datagram has to be read.

It can be used to. Another useful thing to put into a layer 3 diagram is organizational boxes. Features of a layer 3 switch. In a university the pc s of faculties staff and students are connected via l 2 and l 3 switches on a different set of vlan s.

A layer 3 switch is a high performance device for network routing. A network switch is a multiport network bridge that uses mac addresses to forward data at the data link layer layer 2 of the osi model. Osi subdivides the network layer into three sublayers. Layer 3 switches technically have a lot in common with typical routers and not just in physical appearance.

The below diagram shows the operation of the inter vlan routing with the layer 3 switch in combination with the l 2 switch. It was designed to provide a unified data carrying service for both circuit based clients and packet switching clients which provide a datagram based service model. The main difference between layer 2 and layer 3 is the routing function.