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Originally Posted by Mesaeus
Heheh, thanks for the info mbossman2. Is a L3 switch the same as a "managed switch" ?
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no, an L3 switch is a switch that has the features of both a router and a switch. that is to say an L3 switch allows for different IP subnets to see and communicate with you. A managed switch OTOH is switch that allows "remote control" and reporting functions from a centrally located management console. IE: you have a company spread across 14 buildings and 17 floors, you need to move 1 user from the accounting VLAN to the HR VLAN (they changed jobs). Without a managed switch, you would have to pack up your laptop, find the switch, plug into the console port and make the changes and go back to your desk. With a managed switch, you can do this all remotely from your office. For most small deployments (1 floor, 1 wiring closet, 1 switch) a managed switch is a luxury item. An L2 switch can be managed or not, an L3 switch is almost always managed as it is a key part of a much larger network where management becomes an improtant feature.
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Originally Posted by Mesaeus
Oh, and you forgot one important practical consequence of the difference between hubs and (L2) switches (in fact THE most important difference) : if both have 10M/100M/1000M capabilities, on the hub all devices of the same speed will only see each other, while the switch will allow everyone to see each other, no matter what the speed.
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that is certainly a good point, the other major reason that switches are preferred over hubs is the elimination of data collisions. the entire hub and all devices connected are a single collison domain whereas with a switch, the collision domain is limited to a single port and the port of the device connected (and even that is elimiated when full duplex is active).