Umahluko obalulekileyo phakathi kwe-aumaleko-2 tshintshakunye a umaleko-3 tshintshakukuba umaleko osebenzayo weprotocol wahlukile. I-layer-2 switch isebenza kwi-data link layer, kunye ne-layer-3 switch isebenza kwi-network layer.

Inokuqondwa ngokulula njengomaleko wesi-2 sokutshintsha. Unokucinga ukuba inomsebenzi wokutshintsha kuphela, oko kukuthi, inokuqhuba kuphela izakhelo zedatha. Ukongeza kumsebenzi wotshintshiselwano lwe-2, i-layer 3 switch nayo inomsebenzi we-3 wokuhamba, oku kuthetha ukuba inokusebenza idatha. Ibhegi.

(1)Uluhlu lwe-2 lokutshintsha sebenza kuluhlu lwesibini lwedatha yedatha yemodeli yereferensi ye-OSI. Imisebenzi ephambili ibandakanya idilesi yendawo, ukujonga iimpazamo, ukulandelelana kwesakhelo, kunye nokulawula ukuhamba.

(2) Aumaleko-3 tshintshasisixhobo esinomaleko-3 wokutshintsha umsebenzi, oko kukuthi, umaleko-2 wokutshintsha unomaleko-3 wokujikeleza umsebenzi, kodwa ludibaniso oluphilayo lwezimbini, hayi nje isixhobo sesixhobo se-router kunye nesoftware ebekwe phezu kwe-LAN iswitshi. .