What does a Layer 3 switch primarily add compared to a traditional Layer 2 switch?

What does a Layer 3 switch primarily add compared to a traditional Layer 2 switch?

• A. Wireless client access.
• B. PoE support.
• C. The ability to route between VLANs within a LAN at high speed.
• D. Firewall inspection of traffic.

Answer: (C)

Layer 3 switching adds IP routing capabilities to a switch, allowing it to route traffic between VLANs inside the LAN. A Layer 2 switch only forwards frames within a single VLAN based on MAC addresses, so devices in different VLANs can’t communicate unless traffic goes to an external router. By contrast, a Layer 3 switch maintains routing tables and VLAN-specific interfaces (often called SVIs) so inter-VLAN communication happens directly on the switch, typically with hardware-accelerated routing for high speed. This is why it enables inter-VLAN routing at high speed without needing a separate router. Wireless access, PoE, and firewall inspection are not the defining feature of Layer 3 switches.

Layer 3 switching adds IP routing capabilities to a switch, allowing it to route traffic between VLANs inside the LAN. A Layer 2 switch only forwards frames within a single VLAN based on MAC addresses, so devices in different VLANs can’t communicate unless traffic goes to an external router. By contrast, a Layer 3 switch maintains routing tables and VLAN-specific interfaces (often called SVIs) so inter-VLAN communication happens directly on the switch, typically with hardware-accelerated routing for high speed. This is why it enables inter-VLAN routing at high speed without needing a separate router. Wireless access, PoE, and firewall inspection are not the defining feature of Layer 3 switches.