12/11/2024, 23:18 What is a network switch? | Switch vs.

router | Cloudflare

What is a network switch? | Switch vs. router

A network switch forwards data packets between devices. Switches send packets directly to
devices, rather than sending them to networks like a router does.

Networking basics

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What is a network switch?

A network switch connects devices within a network (often a local area network, or LAN*) and
forwards data packets to and from those devices. Unlike a router, a switch only sends data to the
single device it is intended for (which may be another switch, a router, or a user's computer), not
to networks of multiple devices.

*A local area network (LAN) is a group of connected devices within close physical proximity. Home
WiFi networks are one common example of a LAN.

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What is the difference between a switch and a

router?
Routers select paths for data packets to cross networks and reach their destinations. Routers do
this by connecting with different networks and forwarding data from network to network —
including LANs, wide area networks (WANs), or autonomous systems, which are the large
networks that make up the Internet.

In practice, what this means is that routers are necessary for an Internet connection, while
switches are only used for interconnecting devices. Homes and small offices need routers for
Internet access, but most do not need a network switch, unless they require a large amount of
Ethernet* ports. However, large offices, networks, and data centers with dozens or hundreds of
computers usually do require switches.

*Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol for sending data between devices. Unlike WiFi, Ethernet requires a
physical connection via an Ethernet cable.

What is a layer 2 switch? What is a layer 3

switch?
Network switches can operate at either OSI layer 2 (the data link layer) or layer 3 (the network
layer). Layer 2 switches forward data based on the destination MAC address (see below for
definition), while layer 3 switches forward data based on the destination IP address. Some
switches can do both.

Most switches, however, are layer 2 switches. Layer 2 switches most often connect to the devices
in their networks using Ethernet cables. Ethernet cables are physical cables that plug into devices
via Ethernet ports.
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What is an unmanaged switch? What is a

managed switch?
An unmanaged switch simply creates more Ethernet ports on a LAN, so that more local devices
can access the Internet. Unmanaged switches pass data back and forth based on device MAC
addresses.

A managed switch fulfills the same function for much larger networks, and offers network
administrators much more control over how traffic is prioritized. They also enable administrators
to set up Virtual LANs (VLANs) to further subdivide a local network into smaller chunks.

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What is the difference between a MAC address

and an IP address?
Network switches refer to MAC addresses in order to send Internet traffic to the right devices, not
IP addresses.

Every device that connects to the Internet has an IP address. An IP address is a series of
alphanumeric characters, like 192.0.2.255 or 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. IP
addresses act like a mailing address, enabling Internet communications directed at that address to
reach that device. IP addresses often change: because there is a limited number of IPv4 addresses,
user devices are typically assigned new ones when they form a new connection with a network.

IP addresses are used at layer 3, which means computers and devices all over the Internet use IP
addresses for sending and receiving data, no matter which network they are connected to. All IP
packets include their source and destination IP addresses in their headers, just as a piece of mail
has a destination address and a return address.

In contrast, a MAC address is a permanent identifier for each piece of hardware, somewhat like a
serial number. Unlike IP addresses, MAC addresses do not change. MAC addresses are used at
layer 2, not layer 3 — which means they are not included in IP packet headers. In other words,
MAC addresses are not part of Internet traffic. They are only used inside a given network.
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How do network switches know the MAC

addresses of the devices in their network?
Layer 2 network switches maintain a table in memory that matches MAC addresses to the switch's
Ethernet ports. This table is called a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) table.

Suppose Computer A is connected to an Ethernet cable that plugs into the switch's Port 1,
Computer B is connected to Port 2, and Computer C to Port 3. When data arrives for Computer A,
the switch consults its CAM table, sees where Computer A is connected, and knows to forward
Computer A-bound traffic at Port 1, not Ports 2 or 3.

The switch's CAM table would look something like this:

MAC address Port

Computer A's MAC address 1
Computer B's MAC address 2
Computer C's MAC address 3

The switch's CAM table is stored in memory. If the switch is turned off, the table will disappear
and the switch has to relearn the table when it is rebooted.

Now, suppose the switch was just turned on and has not yet created its CAM table. It does not
know which ports Computers A, B, and C are connected to. It also does not know their MAC
addresses.

MAC address Port

? ?
? ?
? ?

Suppose Computer A sends a message to Computer B. The switch takes the following steps to get
the message to Computer B and start filling out its CAM table:

• It records Computer A's MAC address and the port its message came in on

• It forwards Computer A's message to all other computers on the network (except Computer A);
this is known as "flooding"

• When Computer B replies, it records Computer B's MAC address and port as well

MAC address Port

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Computer A's MAC address 1

Computer B's MAC address 2
? ?

Now, the switch's CAM table knows where Computer A and Computer B are. It also knows their
MAC addresses.

How does Cloudflare protect network switches?

Cloudflare Magic Transit protects network infrastructure devices such as switches and routers from
DDoS attack traffic that can knock them offline or compromise them. Magic Transit protects on-
premise, cloud, and hybrid networks. Learn more about Magic Transit or about layer 3 attacks.

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