Summary

In this chapter, you learned about Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching network design, including the following topics:

• How switches improve the performance of your network

• The two types of switches: Layer 2 and Layer 3

• The two implementations of Layer 3 switching within Cisco switches: multilayer switching and Cisco Express Forwarding

• How the STP is critical in a Layer 2 switched environment to prevent loops

• The usefulness of VLANs in defining logical broadcast domains

• The features in switches that can be used to increase the security of your network

• How switches fit into the design models