A router is a computer and networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks, including internetworks such as the global Internet.
A network switch is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
The Internetworking Operating System (IOS) is a family of proprietary network operating systems used on several router and network switch models manufactured by Cisco Systems. The system is a package of routing, switching, internetworking, and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system. Although the IOS code base includes a cooperative multitasking kernel, most IOS features have been ported to other kernels, such as Linux and QNX, for use in Cisco products.
Carrier Routing System (CRS) is a modular and distributed core router developed by Cisco Systems Inc that enables service providers to deliver data, voice, and video services over a scalable IP Next-Generation Network (NGN) infrastructure. In a network topology, these routers are generally positioned in the core or edge of a service provider network. They are also used by Over-the-top content providers and large enterprises. It supports a wide range of interface speeds and types such as channelized OC3, OC12 to OC768 on Packet over SONET and from 1GE, 10GE all the way to 100GE on the Ethernet technologies. A standalone CRS-3 system can handle 2.2 Tbit/s and a multi-chassis system could be designed to handle 322 Tbit/s.
Cisco PIX was a popular IP firewall and network address translation (NAT) appliance. It was one of the first products in this market segment.
Catalyst is the brand for a variety of network switches, wireless controllers, and wireless access points sold by Cisco Systems. While commonly associated with Ethernet switches, a number of different types of network interfaces have been available throughout the history of the brand. Cisco acquired several different companies and rebranded their products as different versions of the Catalyst product line. The original Catalyst 5000 and 6000 series were based on technology acquired from Crescendo Communications. The 1700, 1900, and 2800 series Catalysts came from Grand Junction Networks, and the Catalyst 3000 series came from Kalpana in 1994.
A VLAN access control list (VACL) provides access control for all packets that are bridged within a VLAN or that are routed into or out of a VLAN. Unlike regular Cisco IOS access control lists that are configured on router interfaces and applied on routed packets only, VACLs apply to all packets. The technology was developed by Cisco on the Catalyst 6500 Series switch platform.
Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) is an advanced layer 3 switching technology used mainly in large core networks or the Internet to enhance the overall network performance. Although CEF is a Cisco proprietary protocol other vendors of multi-layer switches or high-capacity routers offer a similar functionality where layer-3 switching or routing is done in hardware instead of by software and the (central) CPU.
A router on a stick, also known as a one-armed router, is a router that has a single physical or logical connection to a network. It is a method of inter-VLAN routing where one router is connected to a switch via a single cable. The router has physical connections to the broadcast domains where one or more VLANs require the need for routing between them.
Riverstone Networks, was a provider of networking switching hardware based in Santa Clara, California. Originally part of Cabletron Systems, and based on an early acquisition of YAGO, it was one of the many Gigabit Ethernet startups in the mid-1990s. It is now a part of Alcatel-Lucent and its operations are being wound down via a Chapter 11 filing by their current owners.
Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is a Cisco Systems proprietary networking protocol, which is used for the automated, link aggregation of Ethernet switch ports, known as an EtherChannel. PAgP is proprietary to Cisco Systems. A similar protocol known as Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) — released by the IEEE — is an industry standard and is not tied to a specific vendor.
The Cisco Catalyst 6500 is a modular chassis network switch manufactured by Cisco Systems from 1999 to 2015, capable of delivering speeds of up to "400 million packets per second".
A core router is a router designed to operate in the Internet backbone, or core. To fulfill this role, a router must be able to support multiple telecommunications interfaces of the highest speed in use in the core Internet and must be able to forward IP packets at full speed on all of them. It must also support the routing protocols being used in the core. A core router is distinct from an edge router: edge routers sit at the edge of a backbone network and connect to core routers.
InterSwitch Trunk (IST) is one or more parallel point-to-point links that connect two switches together to create a single logical switch. The IST allows the two switches to share addressing information, forwarding tables, and state information, permitting rapid fault detection and forwarding path modification. The link may have different names depending on the vendor. For example, Brocade calls this an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL). Cisco calls this a VSL.
The Cisco Nexus series switches are modular and fixed port network switches designed for the data center. Cisco Systems introduced the Nexus Series of switches on January 28, 2008. The first chassis in the Nexus 7000 family is a 10-slot chassis with two supervisor engine slots and eight I/O module slots at the front, as well as five crossbar switch fabric modules at the rear. Beside the Nexus 7000 there are also other models in the Nexus range.
Juniper J series is a line of enterprise routers designed and manufactured by Juniper Networks. They are modular routers for enterprises running desktops, servers, VoIP, CRM / ERP / SCM applications. The J Series routers are typically deployed at remote offices or branch locations. These Services routers include the J2320 and J2350 for smaller offices, the J4350 for medium-size branches, and the J6350 for large branches or regional offices.
The Cisco Aggregation Services Router (ASR) series of routers are modular routers produced by Cisco Systems. The highest end of the lineup, the ASR 9000 series, is intended for service provider (SP) core networks.
Arista Networks, Inc. is an American computer networking company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company designs and sells multilayer network switches to deliver software-defined networking (SDN) for large datacenter, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and high-frequency trading environments. These products include 10/25/40/50/100/200/400/800 gigabit low-latency cut-through Ethernet switches. Arista's Linux-based network operating system, Extensible Operating System (EOS), runs on all Arista products.
A modular switch or chassis switch is a type of network switch which can be configured using field-replaceable units. These units, often referred to as blades, can add more ports, bandwidth, and capabilities to a switch. These blades can be heterogenous, and this allows for a network based on multiple different protocols and cable types. Blades can typically be configured in a parallel or failover configuration, which can allow for higher bandwidth, or redundancy in the event of failure. Modular switches also typically support hot-swap of switch modules, this can be very important in managing downtime. Modular switches also support additional line cards which can provide new functions to the switch that would previously have been unavailable, such as a firewall. An example of a modular computer network switch is the Cisco Catalyst 6500, which can be configured with up to 13 slots, and supports connections from RJ45 to QSFP+.
