How Does a Layer 2 Switch Differ From a Router?
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A layer 2 switch is a networking device that operates at Layer 2 of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, which is the Data Link layer. It is used to join multiple devices together on a single network segment. It has the ability to receive, process, and forward data based on the MAC (Media Access Control) address in the data frames.
A router is a networking device that operates at Layer 3 of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, which is the Network layer. It is used to connect multiple networks together. It has the ability to receive, process, and forward data based on the IP (Internet Protocol) address in the data packets.
A layer 2 switch is a network device that operates at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Layer 2 switches are primarily used for local area networks (LANs) and are designed to forward traffic based on the MAC address of the connected devices. In contrast, a router operates at the network layer (layer 3) of the OSI model and is primarily used for wide area networks (WANs). Routers use IP addresses and routing protocols to route packets between different networks.