9.4. Conclusion

EX switches offer a variety of Layer 2 security and port-level access controls. These features help to ensure that only authorized users can access secured portions of your network, and also guard against common attacks such as unauthorized DHCP services, ARP poisoning, and IP address spoofing. When combined with Layer 2 security, built-in Layer 3 firewall capabilities, and general JUNOS software robustness, it is clear that you can deploy a hardened Layer 2/Layer 3 network based strictly on EX platforms (and a RADIUS server, if desired).

Users who require deep packet inspection for real-time antivirus or intrusion detection and prevention, or who need stateful services such as NAT or IP Security, will need to augment their EX switches with other Juniper products that are designed for sophisticated IP services or security-related functions.