What technology is commonly used for network segmentation?

Network segmentation involves dividing a larger network into smaller, manageable segments to improve performance, enhance security, and reduce traffic congestion. Switches are commonly used for this purpose because they operate at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. By using switches, a network can segregate traffic based on different VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), which allows for better control over data flow and enhanced performance by reducing broadcast domains.

VLANs can limit communication between devices on different segments, ensuring that sensitive data can be isolated from the rest of the network, thus providing an additional layer of security. This segmentation also allows for easier management of network resources and can simplify troubleshooting by logically grouping devices based on department, function, or security level.

While routers and firewalls can also contribute to network segmentation, they serve different primary functions: routers manage traffic between different networks and can implement policies for those networks, while firewalls enforce security policies based on allowed and denied traffic. Proxy servers serve as intermediary points for requests from clients seeking resources from servers, which is more related to web traffic management than segmentation. Thus, switches are the most appropriate technology for implementing network segmentation directly.