Can A Router Emulate A Layer 3 Switch

[chull6509]

I am building my CCNP lab. Currently I have three 2950 switches and a bunch of routers (3640s and 2610s). I need to practice layer 3 switching, but they seem to start around $200.

Can I use a 3640 with 6 ethernet ports as a layer 3 switch? I know it will switch, but how different will the CLI be?

[Edison Ortiz]

You can create switch virtual interfaces (SVI) in the 3640 and route between them.

For instance:

Create Vlan 2,3,4

vlan database

vlan 2,3,4

exit

On Port 1 and 2 assign to Vlan 2

On Port 3 and 4 assign to Vlan 3

On Port 5 and 6 assign to Vlan 4

interface fx/x

switchport access vlan [vlan-id]

Then create SVIs for each Vlan.

interface Vlan 2

ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0

interface Vlan 3

ip address 192.168.3.1 255.255.255.0

interface Vlan 4

ip address 192.168.4.1 255.255.255.0

Then place end devices on those port and ping across to test connectivity.

HTH,

__

Edison.

Please rate helpful posts

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Edison,

this is possible only on ports of an etherswitch module or also on normal ethernet ports ?

It's not clear if the device has the etherswitch module on it or the 6 lan interfaces are made of built in + other network modules

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[Edison Ortiz]

Correct, my assumption was based on the 3640 having a L2 etherswitch port module. I don't think you can have 6 regular Layer3 ports in a 3640, but I can be mistaken.

__

Edison.

[chull6509]

To clear up the hardware config, the 3640 came with a NM-2E2W and I added a NM-4E to it. The IOS is 12.4(10a). I am mostly interested in learning the CLI for the switch, and if the commands are very different from the 3640.

[Edison Ortiz]

The modules mentioned are regular ethernet ports and will not provide you with the typical Layer 3 switching from a Catalyst model.

I suggest investing on a 3560 8 Port switch for full CLI experience on Layer 3 switching w/ Cisco Catalyst.

If you begin Layer 3 switching w/ a router, it may introduce more confusion in your early days.

HTH,

__

Edison.