Linking most switches is very easy -- just run a straight through (normal) cable on one port of one switch to a port on the other switch. Done!
For a link to become an access link between two adjacent switches, both switches must be configured with the same DTP (Dynamic Trunking Protocol) mode. This can occur when both switches are set to "access" mode or when one switch is set to "dynamic auto" and the other to "dynamic desirable." In either case, the link will not form a trunk and will operate as an access link, allowing only untagged traffic.
Switches / Bridges and hubs work at data link layer, but there are layer three switches which operate at network layer. Dhruv
bridges, Switches and NIC..
• Access link: An access link is a link that is part of only one VLAN, and normally access links are for end devices. Any device attached to an access link is unaware of a VLAN membership. An access-link connection can understand only standard Ethernet frames. Switches remove any VLAN information from the frame before it is sent to an access-link device.• Trunk link: A Trunk link can carry multiple VLAN traffic and normally a trunk link is used to connect switches to other switches or to routers. To identify the VLAN that a frame belongs to, Cisco switches support different identification techniques (VLAN Frame tagging). Our focus for CCNA examination is on Inter-Switch Link (ISL) and 802.1Q.A trunk link is not assigned to a specific VLAN. Many VLAN traffic can be transported between switches using a single physical trunk link.
so if your fat you don't get stuck!
See related link
A trunk
dynamic auto - dynamic auto
qos, link aggregation
You will need two 3/way switches and two 4/way (Intermediate) switches. Click the link to see a video of exactly how to wire such a circuit.
Technology wise there is no such difference.
When configuring a trunk link between two switches, you can consider using either 802.1Q or ISL (Inter-Switch Link) encapsulation protocols. 802.1Q is the more widely used standard that adds a VLAN tag to Ethernet frames, allowing multiple VLANs to traverse the same link. Additionally, you should ensure that both switches are set to the same native VLAN for untagged traffic and configure the correct allowed VLANs to optimize traffic flow.