DELL N3000 User Manual

Configuring Routing Interfaces

The routing interfaces this chapter describes have very different applications 

and uses, as this section describes. If you use the switch as a layer 2 device 

that handles switching only, routing interface configuration is not required. 

When the switch is used as a layer 2 device, it typically connects to an 

external layer 3 device that handles the routing functions.

VLAN routing is required when the switch is used as a layer 3 device. VLAN 

routing must be configured to allow the switch to forward IP traffic between 

subnets and allow hosts in different networks to communicate.
In Figure 31-1 the Dell Networking switch is configured as an L3 device and 

performs the routing functions for hosts connected to the L2 switches. For 

Host A to communicate with Host B, no routing is necessary. These hosts are 

in the same VLAN. However, for Host A in VLAN 10 to communicate with 

Host C in VLAN 20, the Dell Networking switch must perform inter-VLAN 

routing.