Without consulting any documentation, a couple of reasons I could think of is forwarding rate and the switch-fabric (or the size of the backplane, usually in Gbps). A full-fledged Layer-3 switch running at "wire-speed" would be much more efficient in routing (and switching) between VLANs compared to a router.
Another point of comparison is port density. You can only have such and such number of ethernet, fastethernet, or maybe even gigabit ethernet ports on a router before the cost becomes quite prohibitive. Oh sure, you can use the "router-on-a-stick" method. And though it is a good Cisco IOS feature, it was meant to be an interim solution when transitioning from a flat to a segmented network. Anyway, if you only have a relatively small network, say 2 VLANs, you can opt for the "router-on-a-stick" method. Or better yet, use a router with dual ethernets or fastethernets. However, if you're supporting 4,5, or more networks, that's what L-3 and multi-layer switches are for. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=65221&t=65215 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
