difference between in layer2, layer 3 and layer4 switches

Hi friends,

Any one can let me describe the basic diff b/w the layer2, layer3, layer4 switches.

manishs76...
Read carefully...
Layer 2 Switches (The Data-Link Layer)
Layer 2 switches operate using physical network addresses. Physical addresses, also known as link-layer, hardware, or MAC-layer addresses, identify individual devices. Most hardware devices are permanently assigned this number during the manufacturing process.

Switches operating at Layer 2 are very fast because they’re just sorting physical addresses, but they usually aren’t very smart—that is, they don’t look at the data packet very closely to learn anything more about where it’s headed.

Layer 3 Switches (The Network Layer)
Layer 3 switches use network or IP addresses that identify locations on the network. They read network addresses more closely than Layer 2 switches—they identify network locations as well as the physical device. A location can be a LAN workstation, a location in a computer’s memory, or even a different packet of data traveling through a network.

Switches operating at Layer 3 are smarter than Layer 2 devices and incorporate routing functions to actively calculate the best way to send a packet to its destination. But although they’re smarter, they may not be as fast if their algorithms, fabric, and processor don’t support high speeds

Layer 4 Switches (The Transport Layer)
Layer 4 of the OSI Model coordinates communications between systems. Layer 4 switches are capable of identifying which application protocols (HTTP, SNTP, FTP, and so forth) are included with each packet, and they use this information to hand off the packet to the appropriate higher-layer software. Layer 4 switches make packet-forwarding decisions based not only on the MAC address and IP address, but also on the application to which a packet belongs.

Because Layer 4 devices enable you to establish priorities for network traffic based on application, you can assign a high priority to packets belonging to vital in-house applications such as Peoplesoft, with different forwarding rules for low-priority packets such as generic HTTP-based Internet traffic.

Layer 4 switches also provide an effective wire-speed security shield for your network because any company- or industry-specific protocols can be confined to only authorized switched ports or users. This security feature is often reinforced with traffic filtering and forwarding features...

Layer 2 switches accomplish appliance concrete arrangement addresses. Concrete addresses, as well accepted as link-layer, hardware, or MAC-layer addresses, analyze alone devices. Layer 3 switches use arrangement or IP addresses that analyze locations on the network. They apprehend arrangement addresses added carefully than Layer 2 switches Layer 4 of the OSI Model coordinates communications amid systems. Layer 4 switches are able of anecdotic which appliance protocols are included with anniversary packet, and they use this advice to duke off the packet to the adapted higher-layer software.