Routers and Switches - aljimenez28/champlain GitHub Wiki

Routers OSI Layer: Layer 3 (Network) Function: Forwards packets between different networks using IP addresses. Routing Tables Include:

• Network Address: Destination network (e.g., 192.168.1.0)
• Next Hop: IP address of next router or interface to forward to
• Subnet Mask: Defines the size of the network (e.g., /24 = 255.255.255.0) Broadcast Domain: Routers separate broadcast domains. Each interface is a different broadcast domain.

Switches OSI Layer: Layer 2 (Data Link) Function: Forwards frames within the same network using MAC addresses. MAC/CAM Table:

• Stores MAC address → port mappings
• Learns dynamically from incoming frames
• CAM = Content Addressable Memory (used to store MAC info) Switches do not break broadcast domains unless using VLANs.

IGP(Interior Gateway Protocol): Used within an organization EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol): Used between organizations or over the internet