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How to Set up a Network Switch With a Router In addition, a router uses IP address for data transmission, while a network switch uses the MAC address. By the way, routers can be used in LANs, WANs, and MANs because they have both WAN and LAN ports, while switches can only be used in LANs. Actually, a switch creates networks while a router connects networks. While switches allow different devices on one network to communicate, routers allow different networks to communicate.
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Network Switch vs Routerįrom the introduction above, it is clear that network switch and router are both computer networking devices that allow one or more computers to be connected to other computers, networked devices, or to other networks. If you need more than four Ethernet connections then you need to upgrade to a router with a larger port bank (usually up to eight ports) or to use a network switch instead. Most routers have four Ethernet ports which allow you to plug in up to four devices. Routers uses protocols such as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) to communicate with each other and configures the best route between any two hosts. It directs data traffic from the modem and route it to various devices. Normally, a router works as a dispatcher. It is used to connect networking devices to the internet so that multiple users can share a connection. Router in NetworkingĪ router is a networking device that routes data packets between computer networks. These Ethernet switches come with different port numbers of 8/16/24/48 ports and port configuration of RJ45, SFP, etc. Actually, 25G, 40G or even 100G switch have aroused more attention with much higher speed. In addition to one of its most normal type gigabit Ethernet switch which used at earlier time with a lower speed up to 1 Gbps, another type, 10GbE switch is also very popular with a higher speed up to 10 Gbps. Nowadays, Ethernet switch is the most common form of network switch. It allows different nodes (typically computers) to communicate with each other in a smooth and efficient manner. While, sometimes, it can also process data at the network layer (layer 3) by additionally incorporating routing functionality. Then, how does a network switch work? Normally, a network switch uses hardware addresses to process and forward data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. It manages the flow of data across a network by transmitting a received network packet only to the one or more devices for which the packet is intended. What Is a Network Switch and How It WorksĪ network switch, normally referred to as a multiport network bridge, is a computer networking device that connects other devices together on a computer network.
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