Can you explain the concept of load balancing at level 3 in network protocols and devices?

Layer 3 load balancing (network layer) works with IP packets and uses information from IP and transport protocol headers (TCP/UDP) to distribute traffic among servers.

Main features:

• Works with IP addresses and ports.
• Can use algorithms such as round-robin based on source/destination IP address or port.
• Usually implemented in routers or load balancers (L3 load balancers).

Example: a load balancer receives a packet, looks at the destination IP address and port, selects one server from the pool, and redirects the packet there, changing the destination IP address.

This approach is effective for distributing network-level load without delving into application content.