In short
A Layer 3 switch routes between VLANs at switch speed, so the firewall only handles internet and policy traffic. Static routing (Catalyst 1200) suits a small office; dynamic routing such as OSPF (Catalyst 1300X, 9000, Juniper EX Advanced) suits multi-switch sites. We choose the right level, quote by part number and can configure it.
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Layer 2 and Layer 3 in plain terms
- Layer 2 switching moves traffic within one network (one VLAN). A Layer 2 switch can carry many VLANs, but traffic from staff to the printer VLAN, for example, has to go to a router or firewall and back.
- Layer 3 switching adds routing: the switch has an IP interface in each VLAN and passes traffic between them itself, at full speed.
- Static routing means you type the routes in. It is enough when the switch only needs a default route to the firewall plus a few internal networks.
- Dynamic routing (RIP, OSPF, BGP and others) lets switches and routers learn routes from each other, which matters once you have several Layer 3 switches, sites or redundant paths.
When should the firewall route instead? If you want every flow between VLANs inspected (guest to staff, cameras to servers), route through the firewall and keep the switch at Layer 2 for those VLANs. Many sites mix the two: trusted internal VLANs route on the core switch, untrusted ones go via the firewall.
Shop switches
See all 12 products- Catalyst 1200Cisco
16 models: C1200-8T-D, C1200-8T-E-2G, C1200-8P-E-2G, C1200-8FP-2G
- Catalyst 1300Cisco
36 models: C1300-8T-E-2G, C1300-8P-E-2G, C1300-8FP-2G, C1300-16T-2G
Layer 3 features by range
What each vendor's data sheet or description says about routing:
| Range | Routing (vendor wording) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 1200 | "Layer 3 static routing"; up to 32 static routes and 16 IP interfaces | Inter-VLAN routing for a small office |
| Cisco Catalyst 1300 | "dynamic Layer 3 routing" with RIPv2; up to 990 routes and 128 IP interfaces (7,168 and 256 on 10G and 1300X models) | Catalyst 1300X adds OSPF |
| Cisco Catalyst 9200 | "OSPF, EIGRP, ISIS, RIP, and routed access" | Feature set depends on Network Essentials or Advantage |
| Cisco Catalyst 9300 and 9500 | Full Layer 3 on both, including MPLS (the 9300 data sheet lists MPLS Layer 3 VPN and EoMPLS); the 9500 data sheet adds "Multicast VPN [MVPN], and Network Address Translation [NAT]" for the core | Network Advantage unlocks the advanced protocols |
| FortiSwitch Secure Access | 100 series: Layer 2 per Fortinet; 200 series: "Layer 2/3" | Often left at Layer 2 so the FortiGate firewall routes and inspects |
| FortiSwitch campus | "Layer 2/3" on the 300, 400 and 600 series | Advanced features licence per series is optional |
| HPE Aruba Networking CX | AOS-CX; the CX 6300L is described by HPE as a Layer 2 switch | Routing features confirmed per model at quote |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX | Standard tier "basic Layer 2/3 features"; Advanced adds "IGMP, OSPF, and VRF"; Premium adds "BGP and IS-IS" | Tiers from HPE's Mist subscription documentation |
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Full layer 3 models (dynamic routing)
| Range | Vendor | Models | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series (9200, 9200L, 9200CX) | Cisco | 31 | C9200-24T, C9200-24P, C9200-24PB, C9200-24PXG, C9200-48T, C9200-48P and more |
| Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series (9300, 9300X, 9300L, 9300LM) | Cisco | 40 | C9300X-48HX, C9300X-48TX, C9300X-48HXN, C9300X-24HX, C9300X-12Y, C9300X-24Y and more |
| Cisco Catalyst 9500 and 9500X Series | Cisco | 6 | C9500-24Y4C, C9500-48Y4C, C9500-32C, C9500-32QC, C9500X-28C8D, C9500X-60L4D |
| Cisco C9350 Series Smart Switches | Cisco | 13 | C9350-12Y, C9350-24Y, C9350-48HX, C9350-48HXN, C9350-24HX, C9350-48HM and more |
| Cisco C9550 Series Smart Switches | Cisco | 5 | C9550-24L4CD, C9550-48L4CD, C9550-32C, C9550-96L4D, C9550-64C-XL |
| Cisco C9610 Series Smart Switches | Cisco | 1 | C9610R |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX3400 | HPE Networking | 2 | EX3400-48P, EX3400-48T |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4000 | HPE Networking | 10 | EX4000-8P, EX4000-12T, EX4000-12P, EX4000-12MP, EX4000-24T, EX4000-24P and more |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4100 and EX4100-F | HPE Networking | 12 | EX4100-24T, EX4100-24P, EX4100-24MP, EX4100-48T, EX4100-48P, EX4100-48MP and more |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4100-H (hardened) | HPE Networking | 3 | EX4100-H-12MP, EX4100-H-24MP, EX4100-H-24F |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4400 | HPE Networking | 10 | EX4400-24T, EX4400-24P, EX4400-24MP, EX4400-24X, EX4400-48T, EX4400-48P and more |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4650 | HPE Networking | 1 | EX4650-48Y |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4300-48MP (last orders) | HPE Networking | 1 | EX4300-48MP |
Static routing models
| Range | Vendor | Models | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 1200 Series | Cisco | 16 | C1200-8T-D, C1200-8T-E-2G, C1200-8P-E-2G, C1200-8FP-2G, C1200-16T-2G, C1200-16P-2G and more |
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Stackable switches compared
Stacking joins several switches so they run as one, with a single management address and link aggregation across members. Each range does it differently:
| Range | How it stacks (vendor wording) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 1300 and 1300X | "Front Panel Stacking for up to eight switches"; the 1300X has "increased stacking bandwidth" |
| Cisco Catalyst 9200 / 9200L | Optional backplane stacking, "stacking bandwidth up to 160 Gbps" (StackWise-160 on C9200, StackWise-80 on C9200L) |
| Cisco Catalyst 9300 | StackWise stacking cables and Cisco StackPower, selected when the switch is ordered |
| Cisco C9350 Smart Switches | "Up to 1.6 Tbps stacking with modular uplinks" |
| Cisco Catalyst 9500 | Cisco StackWise Virtual (two switches joined over network links) |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX3400, EX4100, EX4400 | Virtual Chassis of up to 10 switches |
| HPE Juniper Networking EX4000 | Virtual Chassis of up to 6 switches |
The Catalyst 1200 data sheet lists no stacking, so for a stack on a smaller budget the Catalyst 1300 is the usual step up. Stacking for FortiSwitch and Aruba CX models is confirmed per model at quote.
Layer 3 switches and cloud management
Every switch here can be managed on premises. If you would rather run switching from a cloud dashboard, see cloud managed switches (opens in a new tab) on our sister site.
How to order
How ordering works. Press Add next to a part number and it goes into your basket; where the hardware needs a subscription, you pick the tier and term in the same step. Add accessories, then View basket and Request a quote. We check every line, quantity and term against your plans and come back with a personalised quote by email. Nothing is charged online. We can also design, supply, stage, install and configure the switches as a project, with the scope confirmed at quote (see network installation).
How we can help with your network
Forever Systems can design, supply, stage, install and configure the network around the hardware you buy here, as a project or one step at a time.
- Design: we look at your sites, users and existing kit and size the switches, wireless and firewalls to fit
- Supply: every order gets a personalised quote by part number, with the subscriptions and support each product needs
- Stage: we can pre-configure and label equipment before it reaches site
- Install: we can rack and mount switches, access points and firewalls on site
- Configure: VLANs, wireless, firewall policy, VPNs and management platforms set up and documented at handover
Scope is confirmed at quote, so you only pay for the parts of the project you need.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Layer 3 switch?
A switch that can route traffic between VLANs or subnets itself, using static or dynamic routes, instead of passing that traffic to a router or firewall.
Do I need a Layer 3 switch?
If you have several VLANs and lots of traffic between them (for example staff to servers or printers), routing on the switch is faster and takes load off the firewall. A small office with one or two VLANs often manages with Layer 2 and the firewall routing.
Is the Cisco Catalyst 1200 a Layer 3 switch?
Cisco describes it as having "Layer 3 static routing": up to 32 static routes and 16 IP interfaces. For dynamic routing (RIPv2, or OSPF on the 1300X), choose the Catalyst 1300.
What is a stackable switch?
A switch that joins with others over stacking ports or cables so the group is managed as one switch with one IP address. Catalyst 1300, 9200 and 9300 and Juniper EX switches all stack, each in its own way.
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