Question

Difficulty: MediumNetwork Components Roles and Functions

An enterprise organization is upgrading its campus network infrastructure to enable high-speed inter-VLAN routing between local client subnets directly within the wiring closet. The required device must perform wire-speed hardware packet forwarding between local VLANs using Switched Virtual Interfaces (SVIs) while continuing to provide Layer 2 access port connectivity for endpoints. Which network component should be deployed to meet these requirements?

  1. Layer 3 multilayer switchAnswer
  2. B
    Unmanaged Layer 2 switch
  3. C
    Type 2 hypervisor
  4. D
    Layer 2 discovery agent running LLDP

Answer

Layer 3 multilayer switch
A Layer 3 multilayer switch performs both Layer 2 frame switching and Layer 3 IP routing. By configuring Switched Virtual Interfaces (SVIs), it routes traffic between VLANs at hardware wire-speed directly in the access layer, eliminating the need to pass traffic to an external router.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the operational requirements specified in the scenario.
The target device must handle local Layer 2 endpoint connectivity while simultaneously routing IP packets between different local VLANs using SVIs.
Inter-VLAN routing requires a device operating at Layer 3 of the OSI model.
2
Evaluate candidate network components based on their functional roles.
A Layer 3 switch (multilayer switch) integrates Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for hardware-based packet routing between VLANs alongside standard Layer 2 bridging.
This offloads inter-VLAN routing from core edge routers and fulfills both Layer 2 access and Layer 3 routing requirements.

Key Concept

Multilayer (Layer 3) Switch Operational Roles and Inter-VLAN Forwarding
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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