From owner-freebsd-net Wed Mar 24 17:11: 3 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org Received: from xylan.com (postal.xylan.com [208.8.0.248]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5757314FD8 for ; Wed, 24 Mar 1999 17:10:56 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from wes@softweyr.com) Received: from mailhub.xylan.com by xylan.com (8.8.7/SMI-SVR4 (xylan-mgw 2.2 [OUT])) id RAA03423; Wed, 24 Mar 1999 17:10:36 -0800 (PST) Received: from utah.XYLAN.COM by mailhub.xylan.com (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4 (mailhub 2.1 [HUB])) id RAA27042; Wed, 24 Mar 1999 17:10:35 -0800 Received: from thrallo.utah.xylan.com by utah.XYLAN.COM (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4 (xylan utah [SPOOL])) id SAA22324; Wed, 24 Mar 1999 18:10:25 -0700 Subject: Re: switch vs bridge (fwd) From: Wes Peters Reply-To: Wes Peters In-Reply-To: <199903242123.PAA11962@free.pcs> Message-ID: <000346da2d1cdc6c_mailit@thrallo.utah.xylan.com> References: <199903242123.PAA11962@free.pcs> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 18:10:03 -0800 X-Mailer: BeatWare Mail-It 2.0 X-BeOS-Platform: Intel or clone X-Priority: 3 (Normal) To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org, jlemon@americantv.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-net@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org > >In article you write: >>In other words, there isn't a whole lot of difference unless you step >>up to layer three switches. >> >>These definitions taken from "The Switching Book II", from Xylan Corp. >>Download a PDF version or order your own free printed copy at: >> >> http://www.xylan.com/library/switchbook/index.html > >So where's the definition for layer-four switches? (What the heck >is a layer 4 switch anyway?) Layer 4 switching is a marketing term used by those who don't have the money or technical ability to implement REAL QoS (Quality of Service) in their switches. ;^) The idea behind layer 4 switching is to look into the packet contents and be able to do semi-intelligent things based on that information, like directing HTTP streams to multiple servers. It's great for those few instances where you really need that, like high-volume web servers, and a complete boondoggle for most of the networking world. But it sounds good, doesn't it? If layer 2 switching is good, and layer 3 switching is great, then layer 4 switching must be like getting laid while eating your favorite ice cream, right? Sorry, I'm in a nasty mood right now, and using an unfamiliar mailer to boot. I'll be nice again tomorrow. -- Wes To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-net" in the body of the message