Home > IT Answers > Networking > L2 versus L3 on your WAN
ITKE
16,755 pts.
 L2 versus L3 on your WAN
L2 Switches, L3 Switches, Layer 2, Layer 3, Network Security Policies, Networking security, WAN, Wide Area Networks
We are running Comcast Fiber between sites.  I was wondering what the best practice is for using Layer 2 or Layer 3 across the link.  We current use both.  Are there security reasons for doing one versus the other?  Also interested in hearing general thoughts on it.

Software/Hardware used:
ASKED: February 16, 2010  6:53 PM
UPDATED: February 20, 2010  5:42 AM
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer Wiki:
Always Layer 3 links are better when using for the WAN, first and foremost you can make sure the traffic is encrypted and secured, if you have multiple VLANs then the link should be a trunk link (if layer 2 link is used) where as if you use a layer 3 link then you can route the required VLANs only. Layer 3 links are easy to toubleshoot compared to layer 2, with layer 3 the security options are more comparedf to layer 2 links, Access list works better with layer 3 link, you can use radius servers as well. Cheers Yasir
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  February 20, 2010  5:42 am  by  Yasir Irfan   5,395 pts.
All Answer Wiki Contributors:  Yasir Irfan   5,395 pts.
To see all answers submitted to the Answer Wiki: View Answer History.


RSS - Discussions Help
Discuss This Question:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 
ITKE
 16,755 pts.