Functional difference between Ethernet switch and industrial router

What is the difference between an Ethernet switch and an industrial router

　　 Everyone knows that both Ethernet switches and routers are used for network switching, but there are differences in function. So what is the difference between Ethernet switches and industrial routers? Let’s take a look at the specific content.

What is the difference between an Ethernet switch and an industrial router:

　　 1. Load and subnetting are different.

There can only be one path between Ethernet switches, so that information is concentrated on one communication link and cannot be dynamically allocated to balance the load.

The router's routing protocol algorithm can avoid this. The OSPF routing protocol algorithm can not only generate multiple routes, but also select different best routes for different network applications. It can be seen that the load of the router is significantly greater than that of the Ethernet switch. The Ethernet switch can only recognize the MAC address. The MAC address is a physical address and uses a flat address structure, so the subnet cannot be divided according to the MAC address. The router recognizes the IP address. The IP address is assigned by the network administrator. It is a logical address and the IP address has a hierarchical structure. It is divided into a network number and a host number. It can be easily used to divide subnets. The main function of the router is to Connect to different networks.

 　　 2. Media and broadcast control are different.

The Ethernet switch can only reduce the collision domain, not the broadcast domain. The entire switched network is a large broadcast domain, and broadcast messages are scattered throughout the entire switched network.

The router can isolate the broadcast domain, and broadcast packets cannot continue to be broadcast through the router. It can be seen that the broadcast control range of the Ethernet switch is much larger than that of the router, and the broadcast control range of the router is still relatively small. As a bridging device, an Ethernet switch can also complete the conversion between different link layers and physical layers, but this conversion process is more complicated and not suitable for ASIC implementation, which will inevitably reduce the forwarding speed of the switch.