05-31-2013 05:49 AM - edited 03-07-2019 01:39 PM
Difference between L3 Switch and Multilayer Switch ?
05-31-2013 06:02 AM
There is no difference. A Layer3-switch is capable of switching the traffic (L2) and routing the traffic (L3). The routing is done in hardware which is the difference to a traditional router which acts mainly in software.
A Multilayer-Switch can operate both on Layer2 and Layer3. So both terms describe the same thing.
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06-03-2013 03:36 AM
Hi Nabarun
A L3 switch is a Multilayer switch witch support both L2 and L3 (i.e switching and routing both).
Thanks & Regards
Sandeep
06-03-2013 08:21 AM
No difference, they are the same as far as definition goes.
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06-03-2013 06:32 PM
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Although L3 switch and multilayer switch are generally considered the same thing now adays (as noted by the other posters), a L3 switch does multilayer switching (MLS), but a multilayer switch might be incapable of L3 routing itself.
A good example of this, a multilayer switch, was the Catalyst 5000 series. The 5000 could do MLS in conjunction with a standalone router (while it had no on-board L3 routing capability - i.e. so the 5000 without its optional RSM wasn't a single device L3 switch). It could also do L3 routing (with its optional RSM) while not doing MLS, so then it wasn't acting like a L3 switch. Only when you configured MLS with its optional RSM did you have it operating as what we today consider a single device L3 switch.
06-03-2013 06:42 PM
Ref for more info:
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