Filter
Top Products
Feature Overview
3
SonicOS 5.7: Advanced Switching Feature Guide and Screencast Tutorial
Benefits of Switching in SonicOS
The SonicWALL NSA 2400MX provides a combined security and switching solution with the objective of
improved security for all tasks. Layer 2 switching features enhance the deployment and interoperability of
SonicWall devices within existing Layer 2 networks.
The SonicWALL NSA 2400MX provides flexible, intelligent switching capabilities with its unique
PortShield architecture, increased port density with 26 interfaces, and advanced switching features.
The advanced switching features on a network security appliance provide the following benefits:
• Increased port density – With one appliance providing 26 interfaces, including 24 switch ports, you can
decrease the number of devices on your internal network.
• Increased security across multiple switch ports – The PortShield architecture provides the flexibility to
configure all 26 LAN switch ports into separate security zones such as LANs, WLANs and DMZs,
providing protection not only from the WAN and DMZ, but also between devices inside the LAN.
Effectively, each security zone has its own wire-speed ‘mini-switch’ that benefits from the protection of
a dedicated deep packet inspection firewall.
• VLAN Trunking – Simplifies VLAN management and configuration by reducing the need to configure
VLAN information on every switch.
• Layer 2 Discovery – Provides Layer 2 network information for all devices attached to the SonicWALL
NSA 2400MX.
• Link Aggregation – Aggregated ports provide increased performance through load balancing when
connected to a switch that supports aggregation, and provide redundancy when connected to a switch
or server that supports aggregation.
• Port Security – Allows administrators to bind a trusted MAC address or multiple MAC addresses to a
specific port to decrease unauthorized access on that port.
• Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol – Allows for redundancy in case a connection goes down, while
preventing loops from being formed when switches or bridges are interconnected via multiple paths.
• Layer 2 Quality of Service – Allows for traffic prioritization and bandwidth management to minimize
network delay using Cost of Service (CoS) classification, and DSCP marking.
• Port Mirroring – Allows the administrator to easily monitor and inspect network traffic on one or more
ports.
• Rate Control / Flow Control – Back-pressure flow control on half-duplex ports and pause frame-based
flow control on full-duplex ports allow zero packet loss under temporary traffic congestion.
• Port Security – Binding a MAC address or multiple MAC addresses to a specific port interface provides
security, as frames whose source addresses are not contained in the table will be dropped.