A campus needs a single device that forwards frames between hosts in the same VLAN and also moves traffic between separate IP subnets at wire speed without a separate router. Which statement correctly distinguishes a Layer 3 switch from a Layer 2 switch in this role?
- AA Layer 2 switch can route between IP subnets in hardware, whereas a Layer 3 switch only floods broadcasts within one VLAN.
- BBoth switches forward strictly on destination MAC address, and neither can move traffic between separate IP subnets without an external router.
- CA Layer 3 switch can forward between IP subnets using routing in hardware, whereas a Layer 2 switch only forwards within a VLAN based on MAC addresses. Correct
- DA Layer 2 switch makes forwarding decisions on destination IP address, whereas a Layer 3 switch makes them on destination MAC address.
Why A is wrong: This reverses the two devices: routing between subnets is the Layer 3 switch capability, and confining traffic to a single VLAN is the Layer 2 behaviour, so the roles are swapped and the statement is wrong.
Why B is wrong: It is true that a Layer 2 switch needs an external router, but a Layer 3 switch can route between subnets itself; claiming neither device can is incorrect and ignores the defining Layer 3 capability.
Why C is correct: A Layer 3 switch combines switching with hardware routing so it can move packets between subnets, while a Layer 2 switch makes forwarding decisions solely on destination MAC addresses inside a single VLAN, which is exactly the distinction the scenario needs.
Why D is wrong: A Layer 2 switch forwards on MAC, not IP, and a Layer 3 switch adds IP-based routing rather than dropping to MAC-only; the two criteria are attached to the wrong devices, so the statement is false.