Summary

Shooting trouble with the CatOS and IOS is a necessity today. Many things that used to be performed on routers are now performed on switches with router capability. Although many switches are usable the minute you take them out of the box, they are more optimal if configured for the environment. Supporting Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices not only requires a good basis of switching and routing, but an understanding of the devices and operating systems, too. LEDs, SPAN, and various show commands are excellent Layer 2 tools if you use them. Like it or not, full-duplex switching has allowed Ethernet to be reborn again. So until the next big architecture comes along, you can continue to leverage off of what you know about legacy Ethernet to assist you in supporting today's switched Ethernet environments.

This chapter reviewed segmentation, STP, 5000/6000 architecture, and the evolution of Cisco switches, including examples of the devices and the operating systems. The next chapter continues your Ethernet, IP, and switching experience with supporting VLANs.