A Layer 3 switch, also known as a multilayer switch, combines the functionalities of a traditional Layer 2 switch and a router, operating at both the data link layer (Layer 2) and the network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model. This means that, in addition to the features of a Layer 2 switch, a Layer 3 switch is capable of routing IP packets between different subnets within a network.
While Layer 3 switches can perform many routing functions, they may not have the advanced features or scalability of dedicated routers in extremely large or complex networks. However, for many enterprise and mid-sized networks, Layer 3 switches provide a good balance of performance and functionality.
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Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series:
Cisco is a major player in the networking industry, and the Catalyst 3850 series is known for its advanced features, stacking capabilities, and high performance.
Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series: Another popular series from Cisco, offering advanced features and capabilities suitable for various network environments. 9300 offers modular uplinks, support for advanced routing protocols, and is designed for enterprise networks.
Arista Networks is recognized for its high-performance data center switches, and the 7050X series is known for low-latency and high-density deployments.
The N2000 switch series offers a power-efficient Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) network-access switching solution with integrated 10GbE uplinks. With high-performance capabilities and wire-speed performance, utilizing a non-blocking architecture to easily handle unexpected traffic loads, the switches offer simple management and scalability via an 84Gbps (full-duplex) high availability stacking architecture that allows management of up to eight* switches from a single IP address
Cisco is a major player in the networking industry, and the Catalyst 3750X series is known for its advanced features, stacking capabilities, and high performance.