Layer 2 Switch

A Layer 2 Switch is a network device that primarily operates at the Data Link Layer, the second layer of the OSI model. It connects endpoints such as computers, servers, access points and printers within a local network and forwards Ethernet frames based on their MAC addresses. The switch maintains a MAC address table that maps connected devices to physical or logical ports. Many Layer 2 switches also support features such as VLANs, Link Aggregation, Spanning Tree Protocol and Quality of Service. Unlike a Layer 3 switch, a traditional Layer 2 switch does not provide IP-based routing between different networks. Layer 2 switches are fundamental components of modern LAN infrastructures and enable efficient network segmentation and connectivity between devices.