TYPES OF SWITCHES

Question 1

What are the two main categories for ethernet network switches

Answer 1

modular and fixed configuration.

Question 2

Describe modular switches

Answer 2

Modular switches as the name implies, allows you to add expansion modules into the switches as needed, thereby delivering the best flexibility to address changing networks.

Question 3

Give examples of expansion modules

Answer 3

Examples of expansion modules are application-specific (such as firewall, wireless, or network analysis) and modules for additional interfaces, power supplies, or cooling fans.
• Examples: Facebook’s “6-Pack” open modular switch platform, Cisco Catalyst 4K, 6K and 9K series.

Question 4

Describe fixed configuration switches

Answer 4

Fixed configuration switches are switches with a fixed number of ports and are typically not expandable.

Question 5

What are the classifications of fixed configuration switches?

Answer 5

– unmanaged switches (are basically plug and play)
– smart switches (offer some management, QoS, and security)
– managed L2 and L3 switches (high security, comprehensive features)

Question 6

Describe unmanaged switches

Answer 6

An unmanaged switch is designed so that you can simply plug them in and they work, no configuration required. Unmanaged switches are typically for basic connectivity although some have capabilities such as cable diagnostics, loop detection, prioritization of
traffic using default QoS settings, Energy savings capabilities using EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) and even PoE (Power over Ethernet). You’ll often see them used in home networks or wherever a few more ports are needed, such as at your desk, in a lab, or in a conference room

Question 7

Give examples of unmanaged switches

Answer 7

Netgear 5-port GB, Cisco 8-24port GB, D-Link 24 port GB, Tivega switches, TP-Link switches, etc.

Question 8

When are unmanaged switches the best option

Answer 8

This category of switch is the most cost effective where only basic layer 2 switching and connectivity is required. For example, they fit well when you
need a few extra ports on your desk, in a lab, in a conference room, or even at home.

Question 9

Describe smart switches

Answer 9

The general rule here is that these switches offer some management, QoS, and security, but they are “lighter” in capabilities and less scalable than managed switches. They can be a cost-effective alternative to managed switches. All of these devices have an interface for management that is typically more
simplified than what managed switches offer

Question 10

Give examples of smart switches

Answer 10

Examples: Cisco Catalyst 250 Series, Smart Hub Desktop, TP-Link 8-port GB easy smart, NetGear Prosafe 5-Port, D-Link Web Smart 8-Port GB etc.

Question 11

What are some of the applications of smart switches

Answer 11

-They can be deployed at the edge of a large network (with managed switches being used in the core), as the infrastructure for smaller networks, or for low complexity needs.
-Smart switches allow you to segment the network into workgroups by creating VLANs, though with a lower number of VLANs and nodes (MAC addresses) than you’d get with a managed switch.
-They also offer some levels of security, such as 802.1x endpoint authentication, and in some cases with limited numbers of ACLs (access control lists), though the levels of control and granularity would not be the
same as a managed switch.
-In addition, smart switches support basic quality-of-service (QoS) that facilitates prioritization of users and applications based on 802.1q/TOS/DSCP, adding to the versatility of the solution.

Question 12

What are the advantages of fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switches

Answer 12

The Managed switches are designed to deliver the most comprehensive set of features to provide the best application experience, the highest levels of security, the most precise control and management of the
network, and offer the greatest scalability in the fixed configuration category of switches.

Question 13

Give examples of fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switches

Answer 13

D-Link 20-port Metro, Netgear Smart Managed Plus, Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series etc.

Question 14

What are the most common applications and use of fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switches

Answer 14

As a result, managed switches are usually deployed as aggregation/access switches in very large networks or as core switches in relatively smaller networks. Managed switches should support both L2 switching and L3 IP routing though you’ll find some with only L2 switching support

Question 15

What are the security benefits of a fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switches

Answer 15

1. Managed switches provide protection of the:
   -data plane (User traffic being forwarded)
   -control plane (traffic being communicated between networking devices to ensure user traffic goes to
   the right destination)
   -management plane (traffic used to manage the
   network or device itself).
2. Private VLANs for securing communities of users or device isolation
3. Secure Management (downloads through SCP, Web-based Authentication, Radius/TACACS AAA, etc.),
4. Control Plane Policing (CoPP) for protecting the CPU of the switch
5. Richer support for 802.1x (time-based, Dynamic VLAN Assignment, port/hostbased, etc)
6. Managed switches also offer network storm control, denial-of-service protection, and much more.

Question 16

What are the benefits of the Access Control List capabilities of a fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switch

Answer 16

The Access Control List capabilities allows for flexibly dropping, rate limiting, mirroring, or logging of traffic by L2 address, L3 address, TCP/UDP port numbers, Ethernet type, ICMP or TCP flags, etc.

Question 17

What are some of the features in a fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switch that provide protection against intended or accidental denial of service attacks

Answer 17

s Dynamic ARP Inspection, IPv4 DHCP snooping,
IPv6 First Hop Security with RA Guard, ND Inspection, Neighbor Binding Integrity, and much more.

Question 18

What are the scalability benefits of a fully Managed L2 and L3 Smart Switches

Answer 18

From a scalability perspective, these devices have large table sizes so that you can create large numbers of VLANs (for workgroups), devices , IP routes.
They also have ACL policies for flow-based security/QoS purposes, etc

Question 19

What features do managed switches have for high availability and uptime?

Answer 19

managed switches support:
-L3 redundancy using VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol)
-Large numbers of Link Aggregation groups (which is used both for scalability and resiliency)
-capabilities for protecting L2 such as Spanning Tree Root Guard and BPDU Guard.

Question 20

What are the improved capabilities of managed switches for QoS and Multicast features,

Answer 20

Managed switches support:
-IGMP and MLD Snooping with functions for optimizing IPv4/v6 multicast traffic in the LAN
-TCP Congestion Avoidance, 4 or 8 queues to
treat traffic differently by importance, setting/tagging traffic by L2 (802.1p) or L3 (DSCP/TOS)
-Rate limiting traffic.

Question 21

Other than the differences in switch speeds, what are the other considerations to be made about switches

Answer 21

network switch speeds
number of ports
Power over Ethernet
stacking capabilities.

Question 22

Describe network switch speeds

Answer 22

Network switch speeds vary eg You can find fixed configuration switches in Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) or Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps). The switch speed you choose depends on the type of throughput you need.
Switches have a number of uplink ports and a number of downlink ports. Downlinks connect to end users; uplinks connect to other switches or to the network
infrastructure.

Question 23

Describe Number of ports as a consideration

Answer 23

Network switch sizes vary. Fixed configuration switches typically come in 5, 8, 10, 16, 24, 28, 48, and 52-port configurations. These ports may be a combination of SFP/SFP+ slots for fiber connectivity, but more commonly they are copper ports with RJ-45 connectors on the front, allowing for distances up to 100 meters. With Fiber SFP modules, you can go distances
up to 40 kilometers.

Question 24

Describe Power over Ethernet (PoE) and give an example

Answer 24

POE is a capability that facilitates powering a device (such as an IP phone, IP Surveillance Camera, or Wireless Access Point) over the same cable as
the data traffic. One of the advantages of PoE is the flexibility it provides in allowing you to easily place endpoints anywhere in the business, even places where it might be difficult to run a power outlet. One example is that you can place a Wireless Access Point inside a wall or ceiling.

Question 25

What are some of the things to consider when choosing a switch in terms of power

Answer 25

Switches deliver power according to a few different standards. For most endpoints, 802.3af is sufficient but there are devices, such as Video phones or Access Points with multiple radios, which have higher power
needs. To find the switch that is right for you, choose a switch according to your power needs. When connecting to desktops or other types of devices
which do not require PoE, the non-PoE switches are a more cost-effective option.

Question 26

What are standalone and stackable switches

Answer 26

Standalone switches are managed and configured individually, while stackable switches are handled as a single unit. With a true stackable switch, eight switches (total 384 ports) function as a single switch

Question 27

What are some of the features and advantages of stackable switches?

Answer 27

1. There is a single SNMP/RMON agent, single Spanning Tree domain, single CLI or Web interface – i.e. single management plane.
2. You can also create link aggregation groups spanning across multiple units in the stack
3. One can port mirror traffic from one unit in the
   stack to another, or setup ACLs/QoS spanning all the units.
4. It is possible to connect the stack members in a ring such that, if a port or cable fails, the stack will automatically route around that failure, many times at microsecond speeds.
5. You can also add or subtract stack members and have automatic recognition and addition to the stack.

Question 28

Ethernet switches are designed to suite the different sizes of organizations i.e. small, medium or large. Which other main factors, regardless of size can
be considered?

Answer 28

features, scalability, longevity, security and management

Question 29

What is one main difference in configuration when you have real stackable switches and when you have standalone clustered switches? i.e. Switch Stack vs. Switch Cluster

Answer 29

For clustering you still have to configure every feature such as ACLs, QoS, Port mirroring, and more individually on each switch. It is easier to be configured for stack since it can automatically recognize new stack member, while in a cluster, you have to manually add a device to be the switch cluster.