nanog mailing list archives

RE: Extreme BlackDiamond


From: sthaug () nethelp no
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:11:00 +0200


On the other hand, 6500s can do both L2 and L3 rather well, including
BGP.

Aren't most of the 6500 blades the same as the 7600 ones anyway? Between
these two IMHO we are looking at a blurry distinction between a router
with very good switching capabilities and a L3 switch with very good
routing capabilities.

Until the Sup720, it was simple: 6500 with Sup2/MSFC2/PFC2 and at least
one OSM equals 7600. The difference is mostly a marketing one.

I don't understand how you can differentiate between a router and an L3
switch. In my view "L3 switch" is a marketing term. All high end boxes
do hardware based IP forwarding, whether their ancestry is from the L2
or the L3 side.

Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug () nethelp no


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