Question 1

What is the difference between core and distribution switches?

Accepted Answer

Core switches focus on high-speed backbone transport with minimal latency, while distribution switches aggregate access-layer traffic and apply routing policies, segmentation, and security controls.

Question 2

Do I need Layer 3 functionality in a distribution switch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Distribution-layer deployments typically require Layer 3 switching to perform inter-VLAN routing, run dynamic routing protocols, and manage traffic policies efficiently.

Question 3

What uplink speeds should I consider?

Accepted Answer

For modern enterprise environments, 10G is common at the distribution layer, while 40G or 100G uplinks are recommended for core deployments handling large-scale traffic loads.

Question 4

Are these switches compatible with existing access-layer equipment?

Accepted Answer

Most enterprise core and aggregation switches support standard Ethernet protocols and can integrate with mixed-vendor environments, depending on configuration and firmware compatibility.

Question 5

Do these switches support redundancy configurations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Features such as stacking, MLAG, redundant power supplies, and failover protocols ensure high availability and minimal downtime.

Core and Distribution Switches