In recent years Ethernet and Internet Protocol (IP)technologies have made their way from commercial networks into telecommunications and military networks. Although Ethernet is the most popular communication protocol, it has some considerable shortcomings when applied to these challenging environments. However, network architects are willing to adapt to or work around Ethenet's limitations, and embedded switching is a useful tool in tyhis process. This paper is intended to introduce you to: • Basics of data transmission using Ethernet and IP • Concepts of network layers • Layer-2 switching • Layer-3 switching • Protocols that typically run on Ethernet and IP switches • Redundancy and failover – a critical subject for both military and telecommunication applications. • Applicable examples