The difference between industrial grade 4G routers and switches

Now is the information age, and with the progress of the times, the internet has become an indispensable part of people's lives. Computer networks are often interconnected by many different types of networks. If several computer networks are only physically connected together and cannot communicate with each other, then this' interconnection 'has little practical significance. Therefore, when it comes to "interconnection", it is usually implied that these interconnected computers can communicate. That is to say, from a functional and logical perspective, these computer networks have formed a large computer network, also known as the Internet or the Internet.

Routers, also known as routers, are devices that interconnect at the network layer. It is more complex than a bridge and also has greater flexibility. Routers have stronger ability to interconnect heterogeneous networks, connecting objects including local area networks and wide area networks. Routers have two typical functions, namely data channel function and control function. The data channel functions include forwarding decisions, backplane forwarding, and output link scheduling, which are generally completed by specific hardware; Control functions are generally implemented using software, including information exchange with adjacent routers, system configuration, system management, etc.

A switch is a network device that is based on MAC (hardware address of network card) recognition and capable of encapsulating and forwarding data packets. The current switches are divided into: two-layer switches, three-layer switches, or higher-level switches. Layer 3 switches can also have routing capabilities and have a faster forwarding rate than low-end routers. Its main characteristics are: one routing, multiple forwarding.
Connecting networks to each other requires the use of some intermediate devices (or systems), known as relay systems. According to the hierarchy of the relay system, there can be five types of relay systems:
1. The physical layer (commonly referred to as the first layer, layer L1) relay system, also known as the repeater.

2. The data link layer (the second layer, layer L2), that is, the bridge or bridge.

3. Network layer (layer 3, layer L3) relay system, i.e. industrial grade 4G router.

4. The hybrid bridge of bridge and industrial grade 4G router combines the functions of bridge and industrial grade 4G router.

5. Relay systems above the network layer, i.e. gateways

When the relay system is a repeater, it is generally not called internetworking, because it only expands a network, but it is still a network. Due to its complexity, high-level gateways are currently less commonly used. Therefore, when discussing network interconnection, it generally refers to a network that is interconnected using switches and industrial grade 4G routers. This article mainly elaborates on switches and industrial grade 4G routers and their differences.
The main differences between industrial grade 4G routers and switches are reflected in the following aspects:



(1) Different levels of work

The original switch works in the data link layer of the OSI/RM open architecture, that is, the second layer, while the industrial 4G router was designed in the network layer of the OSI model at the beginning. Since the switch works on the second layer (data link layer) of OSI, its working principle is relatively simple. While the industrial 4G router works on the third layer (network layer) of OSI, it can get more protocol information, and the industrial 4G router can make more intelligent forwarding decisions.

(2) Data forwarding is based on different objects
A switch uses a physical address or MAC address to determine the destination address for forwarding data. Industrial grade 4G routers use different network ID numbers (i.e. IP addresses) to determine the address for data forwarding. IP addresses are implemented in software and describe the network on which the device is located. Sometimes, these third layer addresses are also referred to as protocol addresses or network addresses. The MAC address is usually built-in to the hardware, assigned by the network card manufacturer, and has been fixed into the network card, which is generally unchangeable. IP addresses are usually automatically assigned by network administrators or systems.

(3) Traditional switches can only split conflict domains and cannot split broadcast domains; And industrial grade 4G routers can split the broadcast domain
The network segments connected by the switch still belong to the same broadcast domain, and broadcast packets will propagate across all network segments connected by the switch, leading to communication congestion and security vulnerabilities in some cases. The network segments connected to the industrial grade 4G router will be assigned to different broadcast domains, and broadcast data will not pass through the industrial grade 4G router. Although switches above the third layer have VLAN functionality and can also split broadcast domains, communication between sub broadcast domains is not possible, and communication between them still requires industrial grade 4G routers.

(4) Industrial grade 4G routers provide firewall services
Industrial grade 4G routers only forward packets with specific addresses and do not transmit packets that do not support routing protocols or unknown target network packets, thus preventing broadcast storms.Industrial Router
Switches are generally used for LAN WAN connection. Switches belong to the network bridge and are devices at the data link layer. Some switches can also realize layer 3 switching. Industrial grade 4G routers are used for connections between WAN and WAN, which can solve the problem of forwarding packets between heterogeneous networks and act on the network layer. They only accept input packets from one line and then forward them to another line. These two lines may belong to different networks and use different protocols. Compared to switches, industrial grade 4G routers have more powerful functions, but their speed is relatively slow and expensive. The third layer switch not only has the ability to forward packets at switch line speed, but also has the good control function of industrial grade 4G routers, making it widely used.Wireless Router Core Module

To sum up, switches are generally used for LAN WAN connection. Switches belong to the network bridge and are devices at the data link layer. Some switches can also realize layer 3 switching. Industrial grade 4G routers are used for the connection between WAN and WAN, which can solve the problem of forwarding packets between heterogeneous networks and act on the network layer. They only accept input packets from one line and then forward them to another line. These two lines may belong to different networks and use different protocols. Compared to switches, industrial grade 4G routers have more powerful functions.AC Controller/POE Switch