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Managed switch - Router functionality?
Hi there, We have just bought a managed switch (M4300-52G-PoE+) for one of our offices to be setup with 16 different vlans and networks. My boss chose this switch as "it has router functionalit...
ITSM wrote:Just a quick follow up, by the clients using public IPs and us being granted plenty of them - we expect each client to have their own public IP assigned.
For this purpose a plain L2 switch would do the job - you can connect as many client adapters as you want (and have public IP addresses available) direct to the wild Internet.
If this is smart or not - your choice.
ITSM wrote:Understandably, the public IPs would be used by their respective VLANs as public addresses.
Complete different layer of you want a single or selected public IP in a VLAN. Typical deployment would be done by using 1:1 NAT, or using port forwarding for services. ... and here you need some router, security appliance, USG, ... beyond of what is available in the consumer market. The routing capabilities available on a L3 switch are not intended for this purpose.
Disclaimer first: I'm not an expert in the L3 switch field, but I've collected some experience with both M4100 and M4300 over the last years.
TL;DR: I'm sorry that I have to tell your that unfortunately an M4300 does not replace a full router connecting your internal network with the internet and is not really meant to do that on its own. You could do the inter-VLAN routing on which is going to be faster than going to through a router all the time. (Internal VLAN routing can be done in the switch backplane faster than most routers could do at a comparable price).
The major part missing I see is NAT capability which you will need unless you have been grandfathered plenty of public IPv4 address space so that your clients could all use public IPv4 addresses internally. While those switches support inter-VLAN routing and a couple of routing protocols like RIP and OSPF, they do not replace a proper router to the internet. Also a full router is likely not going to perform at its best when used as plain L2 switch (or a bridge).
Thank you for your reply Luminary, its greatly appriciated.
Unforutnatley, I was expecting this to be the case.
Just a quick follow up, by the clients using public IPs and us being granted plenty of them - we expect each client to have their own public IP assigned.
Would that help in any way?
Understandably, the public IPs would be used by their respective VLANs as public addresses.
ITSM wrote:Just a quick follow up, by the clients using public IPs and us being granted plenty of them - we expect each client to have their own public IP assigned.
For this purpose a plain L2 switch would do the job - you can connect as many client adapters as you want (and have public IP addresses available) direct to the wild Internet.
If this is smart or not - your choice.
ITSM wrote:Understandably, the public IPs would be used by their respective VLANs as public addresses.
Complete different layer of you want a single or selected public IP in a VLAN. Typical deployment would be done by using 1:1 NAT, or using port forwarding for services. ... and here you need some router, security appliance, USG, ... beyond of what is available in the consumer market. The routing capabilities available on a L3 switch are not intended for this purpose.
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