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And lo on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:20:56 -0000, scott <sco### [at] laptop com> did
spake, saying:
>> No, but the fact that it's looking at (and changing) IP headers does.
>
> Don't think my switch changes any IP headers, it just either routes them
> somewhere or doesn't based on a set of rules.
Am I the only one ammused by 'a switch isn't a router because it just
routes packets' implicit here? :-)
> I thought a switch just dealt with stuff in one network address space,
> eg you use it to simply provide enough sockets for everyone to connect
> into something else, and it just send unmodified packets to the right
> place. A router however connects two different networks together, and
> has things like port forwarding, NAT, modifying the IP headers etc.
>
> Or maybe I'm completely off track as I'm no expert, that's just based on
> my experience with working with things labelled as "routers" and
> "switches".
Cutting to the bone:
A hub takes input and fires it out of every port; a switch takes input and
routes/switches it to the correct port for the same subnet; a router
connects subnets together. If you want to know what to call the piece of
equipment you're using just check its capabilities up that list and stop
when they don't match.
So when you have a piece of equipment connecting the 'Internet' subnet to
your 'Home' subnet that's a router despite the fact it also connects all
your computers on the same subnet, which would just be a switch or hub on
its own.
IOW it doesn't matter if it inspects packets, reports QoS, checks MAC
addresses or sings "Daisy, Daisy" when there's a fault; thouse are just
added features.
--
Phil Cook
--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com
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