2948G L3 switch?

miller811

I have not seen or worked with a 2948G L3 switch, and after pricing a used 3550 on e-bay, I am wondering if this is a viable option for a home lab to prepare for the BCMSN.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

joshgibson82

To the best of my knowledge, the 2948 does not have a layer 3 image. Even if it has one, I would bet it doesnt support all the routing protocols like a 3550 EMI does. The 2948 has been long replaced by 2950 and 2960...

virusc

I read somewhere it does have some limited l3 functions.
I asked our cisco CCIE at work and he said it would be less helpful than a 2950 or even 2924 for study purposes.
That answered my question fast enough.

Paul Boz

Just use a pair of 2950's for the STP/vlan/security stuff and memorize the layer 3 capabilities if you don't have the cash for a layer 3 switch (who does, really).

All you really need to know about layer 3 switching is that it allows you to route vlans as interfaces (they represent a subnet after all) at wire speed. You already know how to route an interface on a router, so its not that much more.

I did some googling and found an article that may help you a little:

http://www.2000trainers.com/ccda-study-guide/layer-3-switching/

miller811

Thanks for the info.
If I can avoid buying more gear, I think I will go that route.

Here is the information that I found the 2948G L3. Not sure how it stacks up against a 3550 or 3560 except in the going price for a used one.

Catalyst 2948G-L3 Layer 3 Highlights—IP at Millions of Packets per Second
The Catalyst 2948G-L3 provides a complete IP routing solution without sacrificing any of the services that are required to build a scalable network. The Catalyst 2948G-L3 is a feature-rich switch with full Cisco IOS implementation that allows network managers to continue to administer and manage their networks as they do today while scaling their backbone bandwidths to gigabit speeds. The Catalyst 2948G-L3 supports all the routing protocols that are used today in mid-sized networks. These protocols include:

Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP)
Enhanced IGRP (EIGRP)
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
Routing Information Protocol (RIP) Versions 1 and 2
Static routes
Route redistribution
In addition to these routing protocols, the Catalyst 2948G-L3 supports all the additional protocols necessary to build scalable, reliable networks, including:

Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) 1 and 2
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Relay
Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP)
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
Gateway Discovery Protocol (GDP)
ICMP Router Discovery Protocol (IRDP)
Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) Relay

Paul Boz

Bounce that list off of the features of any modern cisco router and you'll find that you can perform all of those listed layer 3 switch capabilities on the router and save $500-$600 on a new switch.