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We are moving from several 1U servers colo'ed out across several data centers to a full rack in a nearby data center for both physical access reasons, as well as having space for expansion. We also will probably sell off a bit of colo space here and there. Also, the full rack price is actually right at the cost we're paying for our disparate 1U colo, so it makes economic sense.

We have a 1GB drop and a full /24 provided along with the rack.

Our assumption is that we'll need a layer 3 switch to divide the /24 into subnets not only for our selves, but to keep any colocation we provide to anyone else completely separate.

Can I use a 48 port layer 2 switch for our own servers, coming up into a 24 port layer 3 that splits the subnets from there? As I understand it, a layer 2 switch would allow you to separate various servers into VLANS, but they would all use a singular gateway. Layer 3 would allow you to divide them into "true" subnets with their own gateways. Am I on the right track here, or the wrong one?

Michael Hampton
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CrainBramp
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2 Answers2

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Product recommendation is off-topic on the stack exchange network, as it attracts spammers and quickly gets outdated.

That being said - You're mixing up termonologies. You need L2 to isolate the network between customers (VLAN) and L3 to route it (IP). For a 1gbps WAN link you need something that can push this kind of traffic without falling over.

The general consesus is that cheap switches with limited power do all their Layer3 processing with a small CPU. Doing 1gbps or more with layer3 on a switch generally requires a powerful switch with ASIC's that offloads the different layers, so that the switching fabric won't get bogged down because the switch is busy routing at layer 3 (or the other way around).

I recommend that you take a look at the Cisco 3750-X switches (or any other vendor that provides the same features and speed), as these switches can easily pull off 1gbps per port (line speed) and run layer 3 routing at 1gbps at the same time. They also have more advanced layer3 features with the IP Services license that you could need in the future, like using BGP or VRF.

pauska
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  • Thanks for the comment on the product recommendation, and you're correct. Question edited and better focused into what I was looking for. – CrainBramp Dec 16 '13 at 17:36
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Lots of options out there. Layer 3 switch makes sense. Something like a Cisco 3750 or an HP ProCurve 2910al or 2920 are standard.

This question will likely be closed though, as recommendations and products change over time. So really, search and compare the offerings in the layer-3 switch space.

ewwhite
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  • Thanks for the comment on the product recommendation, and you're correct. Question edited and better focused into what I was looking for. – CrainBramp Dec 16 '13 at 17:38