Routing and Switching

Routing and Switching are fundamental functions of computer networking that allow data to be shared and communications to take place

These two concepts are the building blocks of all communications, from data to voice and video to wireless access. Businesses and organizations use routing and switching to share applications, speed access to information, enhance customer service, reduce operating costs, improve security, and enable remote connections.

Routing

  • The process of finding a path for data to travel between networks. Two or more Local Area Networks – LAN .
  • Routing also involves managing network traffic and defining paths for IP-packet traffic.
  • Routers are devices that connect networks together. Routing uses routing protocols, which are specialized algorithms that help routers determine the best path to take data from one network to another. Standard routing protocols include the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol.
  • Router is a Layer 3 device (Network Layer) , the internetwork or network layer of the TCP/IP model. A router’s main function is to forward traffic to destination networks via the destination address in an IP packet. Routers know where to send data packets by maintaining a table of IP addresses.
  • Routers also resolve MAC addresses by using the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). At the network layer, data is known as a packet, and Layer 2 (data-link layer) frames and MAC addresses do not exist beyond the router. This means that an Ethernet frame is destroyed once it hits a router.
  • When operating in a network, a router can act as the default gateway for hosts, as in most home networks. A router can be installed as an intermediate hop between other routers without any direct connectivity to hosts. Routers can also perform other tasks such as network address translation, managing access control lists, terminating virtual private networks, or quality of service.

Switching

  • The process of moving data packets from one device to another within a network (Local Area Network – LAN)
  • Switches are devices that connect devices within a network. Switching uses switches to forward data from one device to another. Switches use Media Access Control (MAC) addresses to determine the destination of incoming data and forward it accordingly.
  • A switch is a Layer 2 device (Data-Link Layer)
  • Switches forward data packets on the same network using MAC addresses. At Layer 2, the data-link layer, packets are known as Ethernet frames. Switches know where to forward Ethernet frames by keeping a table of MAC addresses.

Future of Routing and Switching

1. Software-Defined Networking (SDN)

Software-defined networking allows for more flexible and scalable network management by separating the control plane, which makes decisions about where to route traffic, from the forwarding plane, which actually routes the traffic. This makes it easier to automate and manage network traffic and has led to the development of new network architectures and protocols.

2. Internet of Things (IoT)

The expansion of connected devices has led to an increase in the amount of network traffic, putting pressure on network infrastructure. As a result, there is a growing need for efficient routing and switching technologies that can handle this increased traffic.

3. Network Security Importance

As the number of cyber threats continues to grow, there is a greater emphasis on securing networks against potential attacks. This has led to the development of new security technologies and protocols, such as encryption and virtual private networks (VPNs), to protect network traffic.

4. Cloud Computing

The growth of cloud computing has led to an increase in the use of virtualization, which allows multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server. This requires new technologies and approaches to ensure efficient communication between virtual machines and the broader network.

Network Security in Routing and Switching

Information between computers and larger networks is transferred using routers and switches, they become the primary targets for hacking and information leaking. Thus, to ensure network security, it becomes essential to protect routers and switches against outside tampering.

Router and switch security is becoming increasingly more sophisticated, and mainly deals with the following security concerns:

1. User Authentication

This involves any measures taken within a computer or a network, to ensure the computer user’s identity. ID theft is becoming increasingly more common in the digital world, making it an increasingly important facet of network security.

2. Next Gen Firewalls

An integrated platform that is used to combine the traditional firewall with other network filtering devices to provide greater network security. The platform performs several security checks simultaneously through data packet inspection, and employing some manner of intrusion and prevention system, along with antivirus inspection and third party integration.

3. Intrusion Detection

This is a software or device feature that is used to monitor a computer or a network of computers in order to detect malicious activity or possible violations of network policy. In the event of a problem being detected that could compromise network security, the software sends an immediate alert to the relevant authorities, and, depending on the setting, takes some form of action to shut down the lines of communication with the device posing a threat.

4. Intrusion Prevention

The purpose of this kind of software is to take a preemptive approach towards network security. The device is programmed to actively take part in the identification of potential threats to network security and take swift action against them before the threat becomes a reality. Similar to an intrusion detection system, an intrusion prevention system monitors network traffic, but plays a more directly active role in neutralizing threats to security.

5. Port Level Filters and Checks

Thanks to the internet, information can be shared more quickly than ever, through the world wide network. The improvement in data sharing has also resulted in increasingly more mobile methods of data collection and transfer, such as thumb drives and hard disks. In order to ensure the network security is not threatened by these external devices, various port filters are available for the monitoring and detection of malicious software hiding within the external drives, which can enter the network through ports which are left unguarded