Port numbering question.

I have been working with a new M4100, my first true managed switch (as opposed to the GS108T 'smart' switches I have used previously).

Netgear calls it a Layer 2+ switch and, yes, it can do some routing, but most of the functionality is in the Layer 2 (data link) area. It IS a switch, after all, not a router.

Reading the software setup documentation (I know, you aren't supposed to read the manual, but I'm desperate), I keep encountering port notation in the form x/y/z.

It appears that x/y/z refers to Layer 3 devices while y/z refers to Layer 2 units.

So, can anyone tell me what x, y and z refer to?

For example, I'm looking at the M4100/M7100 Software Administration Guide V10.0.1, Page 61, Figure 7.

It shows a Layer 3 switch 'acting as a router' with connections to Port 1/0/2, 1/0/3 and 1/0/5. These are associated with different subnets and connect to different switches.

When I look at the GUI of my M4100, I see references to Ports 0/1 through 0/12 as well as vlan 1 and, in the Mac address table, 4/1 (which changed to 5/1 when I hit refresh).

I assume /z (1-12) refers to the physical port but what does y/ (0, 4 or 5 or ?) refer to?

Thanks,

ss/wb