The Difference Between Core Switches and Regular Switches

Core switches are not a classification of switches, mainly because they are generally placed in the backbone core part of the network, hence they are called core switches.

Large enterprise networks and complex networks generally require the purchase of core switches to achieve strong network scalability and protect existing investments. Core switches are only used when the number of computers reaches a certain level. Generally, computers with less than 50 computers do not require core switches. The so-called core switch is designed for network architecture. If it is a small LAN with multiple computers, an 8-port small switch can also be called a core switch.

So what is the difference between a core switch and a regular switch?

1. Differences in Ports

There are a large number of core switch ports, which are usually modular and can be freely paired with optical ports and gigabit Ethernet ports. Generally, core switches are layer 3 switches that can set various advanced network protocols such as routing protocols/ACL/QoS/load balancing. The most important thing is that the backplane bandwidth of the core switch is much higher than that of a regular switch, and usually has a separate engine module, which is the main backup.

The number of ordinary switch ports is generally small, and most network ports are gigabit Ethernet or fast Ethernet ports. The main function is to access user data or gather switch data from some access layers. This type of switch can be configured with Vlan simple routing protocol and some simple SNMP functions at most, and the backplane bandwidth is relatively small.

2. Different application levels.

Ordinary switches are mainly used for the access layer, while core switches are used for the core layer. For example, a monitoring center has a core computer room and many monitoring points. The network connected to the monitoring point generally uses a regular switch with basic forwarding function. But the computer room needs a core switch because it undertakes the function of aggregating data from various monitoring points.

3. Differences in user connection or access to the network

The part of the network that directly connects or accesses users is called the access layer, and the part between the access layer and the core layer is called the distribution layer or aggregation layer. The purpose of the access layer is to allow end users to connect to the network. Therefore, access layer switches have the characteristics of low cost and high port density; A convergence layer switch is a convergence point for multiple access layer switches. It must be able to handle all traffic from access layer devices and provide uplink to the core layer. Therefore, aggregation layer switches require higher performance, fewer interfaces, and higher switching rates compared to access layer switches. The backbone of the network is called the core layer. The main purpose of the core layer is to provide optimized and reliable transmission structure through high-speed forwarding communication, so the core layer switch application has higher reliability, performance, and throughput.

4. Advantages of Core Switches

Compared to ordinary switches, data center core switches need to have the following characteristics: large cache, high capacity, virtualization, FCOE, layer 2 TRILL technology, and other aspects. In addition, link aggregation, redundancy, stacking, hot backup and other functions are also very important. The bandwidth of the core switch backplane determines the performance, efficiency, and stability of the core switch in practical applications.

The core switch has strong scalability, supports multiple interfaces, implements a bus based network, and has an automatic alarm function internally, which can notify relevant personnel for repair in a timely manner in case of faults, making it convenient for us to remotely manage and maintain.

We have been focusing on Industrial Switches for more than 10 years and are one of the earliest industrial switch manufacturers in China. After years of development, we have formed multiple switch product series, including industrial network switches, industrial switches, and industrial poe switches. We have nearly a hundred invention patents, utility models, appearance patents, and software copyrights, and our products are sold to multiple countries around the world.